


Freakazoid High

by MsGordo_Writings



Series: Freaks R Us [3]
Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Anya overshares, BAMF Connor, BAMF Dawn Summers, BAMF Draco Malfoy, BAMF Ginny Weasley, BAMF Harry Potter, BAMF Hermione Granger, BAMF Ron Weasley, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Cliffhanger, Connor is the Destroyer, Consensual Underage Sex, Dawn Summers is The Key, Death of minor characters, F/M, Families of Choice, Kangaroo Court, Major Character Injury, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Non-Graphic Torture, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Sexual Humor, Snark, and the women who do not put up with their BS, casual disregard of the bad guys, over protective men, presumed dead major characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:48:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 47
Words: 344,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22565005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsGordo_Writings/pseuds/MsGordo_Writings
Summary: Dawn and Connor are sent away for their own protection and meet some kids who are even weirder than they are.  Crossover with Harry Potter.
Relationships: Angel (BtVS)/Cordelia Chase, Connor (AtS)/Dawn Summers, Draco Malfoy/Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter/Kit, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Snape/OFC, Spike/Buffy Summers, Winifred "Fred" Burkle/Charles Gunn, Xander Harris/Anya Jenkins
Series: Freaks R Us [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1623346
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> These are the writings of [ MsGordo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kipplemine/profile), posted here with the author's express permission in order to preserve them from Yahoo Groups. I am updating tags as I re-read the work; if I have missed any tags or warnings, please feel free to let me know. 
> 
> Special thanks to Jon L. (CamperX) for saving this story as a PDF way back in 2006.

Freakazoid High

By Karen

The room was in darkness, the light cotton curtains blowing in the warm early autumn breeze that blew through the open window. The area was a curious mixture of child and woman, stuffed animals mixing with make up and small slinky tops. The walls around the large comfortable looking bed were covered with posters of the latest bands and pretty boy pin ups. A typical teenage girl’s bedroom.

Aside from the large, and sharp, sword hanging over the bed and the glowing green vortex forming in the middle of the room of course.

The glowing hole grew larger until it was about the size of a large serving platter. It held steady for a few moments and then a head poked through. The girl glanced towards the closed door and eyed the mirror positioned next to it, designed to give her a view of the room that she couldn’t see behind her. She then stretched her neck out as far as she could and carefully looked at every portion of the room she could conceivably see from her restricted spot. Satisfied she appeared to be alone the portal grew rapidly in size until she hopped through it gracefully and turned back to peer into the vortex, “All clear.”

The smug grin on her face lasted precisely three seconds until an angry blonde vampire rolled out from under her bed and grabbed her ankle, yanking sharply to bring her crashing to the floor.

Dawn Summers hit the ground with a nasty bump and yelled, “Busted!”

Connor Angel’s head, which had been following his girlfriend into her room, froze and then shot forward suddenly quickly followed by the rest of his body. The impassive face of his father appeared behind him and then Angel and Cordelia followed their son through the portal.

Connor bounced to his feet, braced for an attack and then realised the hefty shove that had sent him flying had come from his father. His shoulders slumped, “Oh crap.”

Cordelia sent him a furious look, “Doesn’t even begin to cover it, young man.”

Dawn pulled her leg from Spike’s hand and accepted Connor’s hand to bring her to her feet. The vampire flipped to his feet and wagged an angry finger in his ‘daughter’s’ face, “You are in a whole world of trouble, ‘Bit. What the bleedin’ hell do you think you’re playin’ at?”

Dawn sneaked a look at Connor’s unhappy face and her own shoulders slumped to mirror his, “So busted.” She mumbled quietly, “Next time you go first. You’ll be able to smell the secret demon trap.”

Spike’s face screwed up in righteous parental fury and he bellowed, “Next time?”

Connor stared at the floor and flushed, “I should have been able to smell my Mom and Dad waiting for us. My bad.”

Spike glared at the sullen pair, “There will be no ‘next time’. ‘Next time’ is happening over my staked an’ dusty body.” He paused and then gestured to Angel, “And ‘is. Right, Peaches?”

Angel nodded, “Right. And don’t call me that!”

The room fell silent as Dawn’s bedroom door opened and Buffy stepped inside to flick the light switch and nod cordially at the occupants, “Hi guys.” She walked into the room, stopping by Spike’s side, “You caught them in the act?”

Dawn looked horrified, “No he did not! Connor hadn’t even come through when Spike pulled his little James Bond routine. There was no catching in the act of any kind.”

Spike’s eyes narrowed ominously, “You can tell because Peaches Jr still has all ‘is arms and legs attached.”

Buffy glared at Dawn, “I meant, caught in the act of opening a dimensional portal in your bedroom unsupervised and sneaking out to meet your honey. Not caught opening anything else.”

Dawn winced and slanted a shifty look at Connor, “Oh. Sorry.”

Buffy’s eyes narrowed then she pointed firmly to the still open portal, “And you can close that dimensional doorway right now, young lady! You are so grounded!”

Dawn heaved a sigh and looked as though she was going to try and protest, but one look at Buffy standing with her arms folded, scowling forbiddingly had her pouting and concentrating on the open, green hole.

For a moment nothing happened and then the doorway shrunk rapidly until it was no bigger than a nickel. Dawn glanced at the stern faces surrounding herself and Connor; looked longingly back at the tiny spark and then it abruptly disappeared. The young girl flung herself petulantly onto her bed. She folded her arms, “There. Happy now?”

Connor eased round Spike and sat down next to Dawn. He nudged her slightly with a sharp elbow and hissed, “I’m thinking this will go a lot better if you look sorry.”

Angel moved in front of him and raised an eyebrow, “Think again, sport.”

Connor looked up at the four pissed faces surrounding him, “Really? Not at all?” Four heads shook in unison, Connor shrugged and leaned back on his elbows, “In that case, sulk your butt off, honey.”

Dawn gave an unintentional giggle and then abruptly sobered as Buffy spoke, “What the HELL did you think you were doing? Its past one in the morning and you’re sneaking around with a boy on a school night, and using dangerous powers for your own ends into the bargain! You are seventeen years old, not thirty.”

Dawn stared at her sister in outrage and then looked pointedly at Angel, “I’m sorry, what were you doing at my age?” She waited a beat and then added, “Or should I say who?”

Buffy flushed a deep red as Spike growled and Angel said, “Don’t look at me, I was evil! She was trying to kill me.”

Cordelia raised an eyebrow and adjusted the fit of her short leather jacket, “I think she was referring to how you became evil, sweetie.”

Angel winced, “Oh. In that case, that would be me.” He glared down at the two teenagers, “But that doesn’t make it right.” He rallied briefly, “And we didn’t use dangerous powers!”

Connor raised his hand to stifle a sudden sharp cough that sounded suspiciously like the word, “Acathla!”

Angel’s mouth dropped open, “That was just the once. And I was evil!”

Spike nodded in rare agreement with his sire, “S’right.” He wagged another finger at the two on the bed, “And we all know how that turned out don’t we?” He nodded significantly at Buffy and continued, “Just goes to show, crime never pays.”

Dawn eyed Spike, “Uh-huh. Just the once, right? Does anyone remember…….oh what was his name………..” She clicked her fingers in a display of fake memory loss and then smacked her hand onto her thigh in triumph, “That’s it. The Judge? Any thoughts?”

Spike’s mouth opened and then snapped shut. His eyes slid to Angel’s and the dark haired vampire took over again, “We didn’t raise him.” Dawn raised her eyebrows and he continued rather lamely, “We just put him back together.”

Dawn nodded understandingly, “Oh, so it doesn’t count if you just make a living, breathing, evil 3D puzzle?” She nudged Connor, “Remember that.”

Connor nodded, “Noted.”

Buffy and Cordelia exchanged glances as Spike and Angel spluttered in confusion. Cordelia sighed, “Angel, not helping here sweetie.” She smiled coolly down at the kids on the bed, “This is getting us nowhere and they all paid for their mistakes a long time ago. There’s no point dragging all this up when we’re chock full of teenage rebellion right here, right now.”

Buffy began to nod in agreement and then frowned, “Hey, what do you mean their mistakes?”

Cordelia shrugged, “Well its not like I went around raising evil, dead people all over the place.”

The Slayer folded her arms and cocked an eyebrow, “Can I just remind you how we acquired Anya? Or has that totally slipped your Higher Being mind?”

Cordelia gasped, “That was once, I nearly died and I was in pain. Emotional pain! Hello, dumped by a dork for a geek and had a rebar through my stomach. Not big with the calm thoughts.” She put her hands on her slim, denim clad hips, “And I wasn’t the one that ran out on my sacred duty for months leaving her friends to pick up the pieces or hid the return of her insane ex-squeeze from hell after he killed half the town and tried to suck the world into a fiery pit of pain.”

Angel scowled, “Hey!”

Cordelia spared him a brief glance, “Sorry, sweetie.”

Buffy put her hands on her own hips and got up in Cordelia’s face, “Well, I didn’t torment a girl so much she turned herself invisible and tried to cut my face off.”

Dawn winked at Connor and addressed the four ‘adults’, “See, that’s my point. You guys weren’t so perfect at our age either.”

Buffy and Cordelia’s heads whipped round and they both snapped, “Shut up!”

Dawn nodded, “Shutting up now.”

She took Connor’s hand as Spike weighed in, “Come on now girls, there’s no need to fight, you both made silly little mistakes…….”

Cordelia slapped an impatient hand on his t-shirted shoulder, “Back off, Bleach boy!” She turned back to Buffy and then whipped round again to say smugly, “And speaking of silly little mistakes……can we say sex-bot?”

Connor stroked a gentle finger over Dawn’s palm as the heated argument deteriorated into a free for all and said in a low, admiring aside, “God, you’re good.”

Dawn grinned, “And you’re surprised by this?” She winced as Angel brought up the frat boy snake episode and had both his ex and current lovers rounding on him, “Well, I think our work here is done. Wanna go get a soda downstairs?” Connor nodded and they stood up slowly, edging silently round their furious parents and made for the door.

Willow stood in the doorway with her mouth hanging open as Dawn and Connor made their way out. “Wh…what’s going on?” Dawn shrugged and continued past. Willow watched the couple head downstairs and then ran into the bedroom to try and pull the furiously arguing people apart, “Guys, stop it. What’s going on?” She winced as all four began shouting their years old grievances and said weakly, “Oh.”

  
  
  


* * *

The next afternoon found an uneasy peace in the Summers house. Buffy was in the basement, working out her rage on backed up laundry and her punch bag. Spike was in their room systematically going through the family photo album and defacing every picture of Angel he could find with artistic fake eyelashes and unlikely looking dresses, and Willow was pouting in the kitchen as she made their afternoon snack over all the wonky spells she had performed that had been dragged up in the five way argument that had finally finished at four am.

Cordelia and Angel had finally left with Connor through a portal that Dawn had obligingly called up for them and the last sight the star crossed lovers had of each other was Connor being pushed down on the lobby sofa by Cordelia as she began to yell and Dawn rolling her eyes as she was launched into by Buffy, Spike and Willow.

Dawn had managed a couple of hours sleep before getting up for school, so when she came through the back door she was, understandably, not looking her best. Her hair was scraped back in an untidy ponytail and the make-up she had put on that morning had melted and shifted slightly during the day, until she resembled an exhausted panda. She dropped her school bag on the floor with a sigh and slipped one hand under her loose sweater to scratch at her flat stomach as her other reached for an apple from the bowl on the side, “I’m beat.” She yawned hugely, “I’m going to take a nap.”

Willow glared at her as she stirred batter in a bowl, “Think again, Houdini. There’s a yard out there that needs cleaning and windows that need washing.”

Dawn stared at Willow with her mouth open and a piece of half chewed apple on her tongue, “What? That’s not fair, I was up all night!”

Willow’s face hardened, “And whose fault was that, Miss Trip The Light Fantastic? Get your glowing green butt out in that yard and make with the raking of the leaves already.”

Dawn’s face fell as she looked out on the carpet of dead rotting leaves that Spike was so proud of. “Bu…..”

Willow’s resolve face looked back at her, “Hustle, missy.”

Dawn stuck out her lip, turned and slammed out the back door. Willow nodded to herself and began to stir the batter slightly happier now Dawn was as miserable as the rest of the house. She scowled as she thought of one of the accusations levelled at her the night before and cast a dark look at the basement door and the ceiling above her, “Don’t get what they’re so cranky about. Its not like they actually got married.” She stirred harder, “And hello? Bionking each other silly now!” The bowl slipped out of her hands and smashed onto the floor. Willow stamped her foot in frustration and then glared out the window. Dawn stood on the lawn, leaning on her rake and swaying in a patch of sunlight with a small smile and her eyes closed.

Willow’s eyes narrowed and she flicked her finger at the girl, smirking as a bolt of blue fire shot out through the glass and grounded in Dawn’s butt. The brunette’s eyes opened with a yelp and she leapt a foot into the air. She caught sight of Willow’s unamused face through the glass and rubbed a hand on her stinging cheek, “Alright already! I’m raking, I’m raking!”

Willow nodded and set about cleaning up the mess on the floor with a smirk,

“Darn tootin’ you’re raking.”

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Later that evening when Dawn had finally finished all her chores and had been allowed to crash out, the senior members of the Scoobs had congregated in Buffy’s living room.

“You gotta admire the ingenuity, though. Beats the hell out of shinning down the trellis and sneaking into the Bronze.” Xander, although distressed to learn of Dawn’s forays with Connor, was also grudgingly respectful of the two tearaways imitative.

Buffy glared at her friend, “So not the point, Xander.”

Xander lost the ‘impressed’ face and adopted ‘responsible’ face. “Right. Totally getting the ‘bad, Dawn, bad’ vibe.”

Anya sipped her cold soda and leaned into her husband’s side, “I think its sweet. Moonlight trysts, young lovers discovering each other for the first time. Bet it brings it all rushing back, huh Buffy?”

Spike choked on his mug of warm blood as Buffy shot a lethal look at the vengeance demon, “Let’s not go there. I had enough re-visiting my teenage years last night, thanks.”

Spike wiped a dribble of blood of his chin and smeared some that had fallen on his t-shirt carelessly into the material, “And there was no bloody discovering of anything on either side, demon girl.”

Anya buried her nose in her glass, “If you say so.”

Willow jumped in from where she was lying sprawled on the floor, “Turns out they’ve been meeting up almost every night in LA and going out on dates all over the city.” She shook her head, “I can’t believe they got away with it for so long.”

Xander hooked an ankle over his knee and leaned back against the sofa to curl an arm around Anya and tuck her more comfortably against him, “How did they? I can be a bit slow sometimes…” Spike snorted derisively, “But I think even I’d notice a big, honkin’ green hole opening up near me every night.” He waved a hand to cover the three people in front of him, “Especially being, y’know, all super-powery.”

Buffy snagged a handful of chips from the bowl on the table, “She got smart. Waited till we out patrolling or had crashed for the night, then……pfft!”

Anya nodded, “That is smart.”

Buffy ignored the demon, “They didn’t see each other at weekends ‘cos they’re generally helping with the badness and stuff, just met up on school nights.” She shook her head, “What’s even more amazing is that their grades didn’t suffer at all. Let’s face it, we’re generally out till all hours and she must have been partying most every night, but not a single grade slipped below a B.”

Xander grinned, “Brainy as well as beautiful.” He nodded to Spike as the vampire held up fresh bottle of beer and the beverage flew through the air to land with a practised smack in his palm, “So how did they get caught?”

Spike put his empty mug on the floor and cracked open his own bottle of beer, “We got ‘ome a little bit earlier than planned the other night.” He tilted the bottle and took a long swallow of beer, “Turned down the street and the Dawn’s window was lit up brighter than Hiroshima.” He ran a hand through his messed up hair and glared at his boots propped up on Buffy’s prized new occasional table, “Burst into the house, legged it up the stairs and then heard bloody Bonnie and Clyde saying nighty night before I got to the door.”

Buffy smacked his shoes off the table for the third time that night with a warning glare, “I dragged him back downstairs before he could smack the door in and we called Angel and Cordelia. The rest is history.”

Xander grinned, “Busted.”

Buffy scowled, “So busted.”

“So what now?” Xander scratched absently at his chin and looked thoughtful, “How do you go about punishing the most powerful being in the history of the world ever?” He gave his friends a lopsided grin, “Gotta be pretty tricky. Your mom had a hard enough job punishing you, and you were just a run of the mill Slayer.”

Buffy paused in the middle of snagging another large handful of chips and looked deeply offended, “Hey!” She leaned back and into Spike’s consoling pat on the top of her head, “Well, Will had her cleaning up the yard and washing windows the minute she got in from school. She did her homework and then had dinner and then Spike took her up into the attic and got her cleaning up there.” She shrugged as she popped a chip in her mouth, “Ground her I suppose.”

Anya snorted, “Yeah, like that’s gonna work. Dawn’s an omnipotent dimensional traveller.” She tilted her head to one side and said in a stern voice, “You stay in your room, young lady, and no skipping out to Brazil while I’m gone!” Her voice pitch went up as she tried to imitate Dawn’s voice, “Ok. I’ll stay right here, Buffy.” She gave a knowing grin, “I’m betting she won’t even wait till you’re at the bottom of the stairs before she’s off.”

Willow jumped in again before Spike and Buffy could get a word out, “As much as I hate to admit it, Anya has a point. None of us have a chance of stopping Dawn from going anywhere if she wants to.” Her face creased in a worried frown and she wiggled her toes in thought, “She has no real idea what she can do yet and if she gets pissed at us she might make a mistake without one of us being around to help her if it gets ugly.”

The room fell silent. It was a big source of worry that Dawn’s powers were largely untested, one of the first rules Giles and Buffy had laid down being that she only tried to use them if one of the Scoobs was around to keep an eye on things in case she unintentionally let an uber demon into their dimension or, worse, got sucked into a hell dimension by mistake.

Their fears hadn’t exactly been laid to rest when on one of Dawn’s first attempts to open a portal to another dimension she managed to find the one that was inhabited solely by shrimp. They’d been shovelling dead fish out of the basement for days. Although the profit made by a quick thinking Anya by selling the first day’s worth off to local restaurants had paid everyone’s bills and living expenses for a month.

Buffy shook her head, “She has to learn that there are boundaries.” She gestured helplessly, “We’ve all gone to the dark side on a power trip and had some pretty Darth Vader-y experiences.” She sighed, “It’s our job to teach her that power is there to be used responsibly not whenever she feels the need for a quick smoocherama.”

Xander glanced towards the stairs, “How do you know she’s up there now? She could have headed out the minute she thought it was clear.”

Willow giggled and pulled her sweater down more comfortably over her bum,” I set up an alarm charm in her room to alert us at the first sign of mystical energy rising. Plus, she was so tired when Spike finally let her out of the attic she couldn’t talk, I think it’s a safe bet she’s going nowhere tonight.” The smile on her face widened as a knock came at the door, “That’ll be Giles. I’ll go.”

The oldest looking member of the Scoobs walked into the living room with a smile and returned Anya and Buffy’s hugs, shaking Spike and Xander’s hands firmly and then collapsing onto the sofa with a tired sigh. Spike moved to the drinks cabinet and poured the Watcher a large glass of scotch and handed it over with a grin, “There you go, gramps. Look like you need that.” His eyebrows shot up as Giles raised the glass, chugged the three finger’s worth and held out the glass for a refill. He eyed the Giles with surprise, “I’ll just get the bottle shall I?”

Giles wiped his hand across his mouth and felt his heart sink as he looked at Buffy. She didn’t deserve this, none of them did. Hadn’t they sacrificed enough for the good fight? He took the bottle and newly re-filled glass from Spike, “You might want to get glasses for everyone else.”

Buffy stared wide-eyed at Giles, “It isn’t another apocalypse is it? ‘Cos I think we’ve already met our quota for this year.”

Giles managed a weak smile, “I’m sorry, Buffy, I’m being terribly rude.” He rubbed a hand over his exhausted face, “I’ve been travelling all day and the last two weeks at the Council have been most…..taxing.”

His Slayer sat beside him and took his hand in hers, “You don’t have to apologise to us. I’m sure whatever it is could have waited until you had some sleep.” She nodded towards the stairs, “If you want to get your head down now……..”

Giles squeezed her hand, “I’m afraid it couldn’t wait, Buffy.” He took a deep breath, “Thank you all for making sure you were here tonight. I’m afraid the Council has had some most disturbing intelligence and from what we can find out its one hundred percent accurate.”

The serious tone of voice sent a shiver of apprehension down Willow’s spine and she leaned into Xander’s side, reaching for Spike’s hand as she did so. The vampire turned his head and gave her fingers a brief squeeze, before turning back to fix suspicious blue eyes on Buffy’s de facto father.

Giles met his gaze for a moment and then turned to meet Buffy’s worried hazel one, “Its bad Buffy. Dawn is in great danger and I’m afraid we have no hope of protecting her.” He took a breath as the Slayer’s face paled, “There’s more. The intelligence we’ve received also indicates that Connor may also be in danger.” They all jumped as a knock came at the door and Giles said, “Ah good. That will be Angel and Cordelia, I’ve asked them to join us.”

Willow hurried to the door to let their friends, smiling worriedly at their greetings and then giving a more enthusiastic smile to an exhausted looking Connor. She met Cordelia’s eyes for a moment and then slipped an arm through the teenage boy’s, “Hey sweetie, why don’t you come with me and get some shut eye.” She pulled him towards the stairs and began to hustle him up the steps.

Connor dug his feet into the carpet, “But I want to stay down here.”

Angel slipped a supporting arm round Cordelia and said, “Son, go to bed. Nothing’s going to happen tonight.”

Connor scowled, “But if it concerns me and Dawn we should be here…”

He broke off as Spike wandered into the hallway. The vampire looked expressionlessly at him for a moment and then jerked his head, “Go to bed. I won’t let anyone do anything that’ll upset Dawn, that means you’re covered too.” His eyes narrowed, “And keep in mind I’m a vampire mate, and if I think for one damn minute I hear you go near my girl’s room I’ll be up those stairs so fast you won’t know what’s hit you.”

Connor stared calmly back at Spike and cocked his head to one side, “Your word?”

Spike snorted, “I absolutely swear that if you go anywhere near Dawn tonight I’ll feed you your feet while they’re still attached.” He waited a beat, “And you have my word that no one will make you and Dawn do anything you don’t want to do, this little pow-wow is strictly for information only.” Connor nodded and allowed Willow to lead him up the stairs without further argument.

Cordelia stared at Spike, “How did you do that? Connor never caves that quickly.”

Spike shrugged, “I’ve got a way with kids. C’mon, let’s go see what the watcher’s got his stuffy knickers in a twist about.” He took the coats held out to him with a frown and then shrugged and beaned them over his shoulder, “Stop being a prancing nancy, Peaches and get your fat arse in here.”

He stalked off to Buffy’s side and Angel followed him, saying irritably, “Stop calling me that!”

* * *

  
  
  


The next morning Dawn woke up and stumbled out of her room and downstairs to the kitchen. The make-up that had shifted slightly during the previous day had been left on overnight, due to complete exhaustion thanks to her over protective, no sense of fun, can’t-remember-what-its-like-to-be-young guardians, and had got together during the night to wage a sudden and vicious assault on her face.

Black streaks and pink powder ringed her eyes, some smudged over her nose, but that was ok because it contrasted nicely with the escaped deep rose lip liner that had made a break north and was currently disappearing up one nostril. She scrubbed a bleary hand through her hair and winced as her fingers got snarled up in the wild, tangled strands. She walked through the kitchen door simultaneously scowling, yanking on her hair and yawning hugely and gave Connor a nasty shock as he closed the refrigerator door and turned to say good morning, “Aaaaaaaah!!” The carton of eggs he was holding flew into the air as he jumped, recoiled in horror and then they landed with a smash on the kitchen floor.

Dawn screamed at the unexpected bellow and stumbled back against the wall with her hand still stuck to her head and eyes wide with shock. “Connor? What are you doing here?”

Connor looking equally shocked stared back at her, “Dawn? Is that you?” His face flushed with fury, “Baby, what did they do to you?”

Dawn looked confused, “Huh? Who did what to me?”

She cut off as Spike, Buffy and Angel all burst into the kitchen with drawn swords and furious yells.

“Where is it ‘Bit? What’s happened?” Spike glanced at Dawn out of the corner of his eye and then did a startled double take, “Christ, nibblet, what happened to you?”

Buffy stopped glaring round the kitchen and swung round to face Dawn. A woman who had faced make up rebellion for many years, she sized up the situation in an instant. Her sword came up to rest on her shoulder; she kicked Spike hard on the ankle and said, “Erm….sweetie, you’ve got a little something on your face.” She turned to Connor and looked from him to the mess on the floor, “And you might wanna get those cleaned up, Destructo Boy.”

“Is it gone?” Buffy turned back to a thoroughly bewildered Dawn and winced as she saw the black streaks had now been extended to just above her chin, thanks to some extensive rubbing.

Angel turned to glance at Dawn and recoiled slightly before saying weakly, “Nearly.”

Buffy put a firm hand on Dawn’s shoulder and pushed her out of the kitchen, “Go shower.” She watched her head for the stairs and added as an afterthought, “And don’t look in the mirror before you do!” She tossed a derisive look at the three men, “Wusses.”

Spike watched her stalk out of the kitchen and then turned to a still shaken Connor, he grinned nastily, “Don’t look so nummy first thing does it, mate? Wait till it gets to be her time of the month and see how bad it gets then.” He turned and stalked off after Buffy.

Leaving Angel to deal with the confused Connor. “Time of the month? What does that mean?”

The former Scourge of Europe squared his shoulders and opened his mouth, preparing to face his responsibility as a parent to an enquiring child. Unfortunately the calm, well-structured explanation got lost somewhere between his brain and his vocal chords and a feeble, “Ask your mother.” emerged before Angel scuttled off in Spike’s wake.

Connor blinked in the dim light afforded by the well-curtained kitchen window, “And you people think I’m strange.”

* * *

  
  
  


An hour later everyone had breakfasted, showered and, in Dawn’s case, been coaxed out of their rooms after taking one look in the mirror and diving back into bed with a scream, and were now gathered in the living room.

Dawn was still completely mystified as to why Connor and his parents had shown up so unexpectedly and why all the adults were behaving so strangely. Xander kept peering out of the windows and up into the sky, and for some reason looking nervously at the fireplace, and Buffy, Spike and Angel were twitching at every little sound and reaching for weapons that lay at their feet.

Willow and Cordelia were engaged in a low serious conversation with Giles out in the hall and Anya was sat perched on the coffee table, biting her nails and darting anxious glances at Connor and Dawn when she thought they weren’t looking. Dawn frowned as Buffy reached for her sword as a car went by on the street outside and said firmly, “Ok, what’s the what? Not that I don’t appreciate the day off school and everything, but you’re all behaving much weirder than usual, which I didn’t think was actually possible, and I want to know what’s going on. Now.”

Buffy’s eyes darted to Giles’, who nodded firmly at her. She stared back at him for a moment before her shoulders slumped with resignation and she turned back to her sister, “Dawnie, you know we love you, right?” Dawn nodded slowly, and Buffy opened her mouth to continue, but before she could get another word out a loud pop sounded and there was suddenly three figures standing beside Anya and the coffee table. The demon gave a yip of surprise and toppled off onto the floor, and the two vampires and Buffy jumped up and hefted their weapons.

Giles sprang into the room with a shout, “STOP!” The three froze as he continued hurriedly, “This is the man I told you about. He can help us.”

Buffy eyed the tall, white haired man in the purple robes and matching hat and slowly lowered her sword. She nodded to Angel and Spike to do the same and then cut her eyes to Giles, “I recognise that outfit! That’s the one you wore the day the Magic Box opened.”

Willow peered round Giles’ shoulder, “Hey it is! And there’s the little wizarding hat!” She grinned at the white haired man it was currently perched on, “It looks better on you.”

The man beamed at her with a twinkle in his eye and then shook Giles’ hand firmly as the watcher strode forward, “Thank you for coming at such short notice.”

“Oh not at all, not at all. Least I could do.” The sparkling blue eyes turned to Connor and Dawn and the affable smile increased, “Ah, the infamous Miss Summers and Mr Angel.”

Connor stood and moved slightly in front of Dawn, blocking her from the man’s view. “I don’t think we’ve met.” His eyes narrowed in warning and his fists clenched at his side as the skin rippled alarmingly at the back of his neck. He knew whatever this man was, it wasn’t fully human.

Giles stepped hurriedly forward, “Connor, Dawn, I’d like you to meet Professor Albus Dumbledore.”

His tone implied that the two teenagers should give a modicum of respect even if they didn’t recognise the name. Connor folded his arms and planted his feet widely, remaining silent. Dawn cocked an eyebrow and looked bored.

Rather than being offended at the truculence of the two teenagers, Dumbledore chuckled delightedly and ushered forward his companions, “Oh I can see you’re going to get along famously.” He beamed happily between the lanky, dark haired boy and the very tall red headed one that stood either side of him, and then the scowling boy and girl by the couch, “One infamous pair to another, eh?”

He pointed to the dark haired boy and then the red head, “Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley meet Connor Angel and Dawn Summers.” The two sets of teenagers eyed each other dispassionately as Dumbledore clapped his hands together and Xander surreptitiously moved a jar of stakes out of Dawn’s reach. “I can see this is going to work out marvellously. You two will make fine additions to the school at the start of the new term.”

The tension level in the room reached an all time high as Dawn shot out of her seat, “We’ll make a fine addition to what now?”


	2. Chapter Two

Dawn stood and glared at her sister and Spike accusingly, “We’ll make a fine addition to what?”

Buffy moved forward nervously, “Dawn, sweetie, just hear us out…”

Connor snatched Dawn’s hand and pulled her roughly past the red-headed boy to march to the door, “I don’t think so.” His hand moved to the base of his neck and clasped the short sword he had snug in a scabbard there as Giles and Xander moved to block him, “Move.”

His blue eyes glittered coldly as he looked between them and then Cordelia shoved between them and snarled, “Connor Angel, sit your butt down before I kick it into the middle of next week.” Her eyes flashed as her son made no move to obey her, “Now!” Connor stared at her for a few seconds and then nodded shortly before pulling Dawn back to stand beside the window.

Ron muttered to Harry, “Crumbs, and I thought Mum was scary!”

Harry nodded in agreement and took his eyes off the beautiful woman glaring at the boy and watched the two teenagers as they stood belligerently by the large window, still looking as though they’d make a break for it any minute.

Connor slipped one hand around Dawn’s waist and pulled her tight against him, “We’re listening.” His tone made it clear that it was under protest and that at the first sign of a strange pile of schoolbooks and any funny looking man dresses, he and Dawn were leaving. By whatever means necessary. He glanced out the window and was reasonably sure he could have Dawn out and up the street before anyone realized what happened.

Unfortunately Buffy realized it too; she folded her arms and said warningly, “You break that window and I’ll have you working it off well into next year.”

Dawn pressed against Connor’s warmth and said in a low, hurt voice, “You’re sending us away?”

Buffy’s face fell and she exchanged a stricken look with Spike, “No, sweetie, of course not. There’s things you don’t know and…….”

Connor cut her off for the second time as he spat harshly, “So tell us.”

Angel swallowed at the look of hurt and betrayal on both faces and he took an instinctive step forward but then halted when Dumbledore said quietly, “You know, I think we’d all find this much easier if we had some chocolate. What do you think, Harry?”

Harry winced, personally he’d had enough medicinal chocolate to last him the rest of his life, but if that’s what the old man wanted……”Yes, sir.”

Dumbledore clapped him on the shoulder, “Excellent. Why don’t you and Mr Weasley go with the lovely Ms…” His eyebrows rose as he looked at Willow.

She frowned at him in confusion for a moment and then jumped, “Oh! Oh, Rosenberg, Willow Rosenberg.”

Dumbledore nodded, “Right, you boys go with Ms Rosenberg and see what you can dig up, eh?”

Ron and Harry exchanged glances that said they’d much rather stay and see the drama unfold but then turned and followed Willow to the kitchen with one last curious glance at Connor and Dawn still standing rigidly by the window.

Dawn slipped her arms around Connor’s waist and tried to stop the uncontrollable trembling that vibrated lightly through her body, “This is because of what happened the other night, isn’t it?” Her eyes widened pleadingly, “I swear, Buffy, I won’t do it again.” She cast a quick look at Dumbledore and her eyes shimmered with tears, “Please, don’t do this.”

Spike swallowed at the hurt and fear in his girl’s eyes, “’Bit, this has nothing to do with the other night.” He handed his sword to Angel and walked forward to stop before Dawn and Connor. He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and then after a moment, laid the other on Connor’s shoulder. His head jerked back to indicate Dumbledore, “Listen to what the old bloke in the dress and Giles has to say and then decide.” His eyes rested levelly on her face, “An’ then if you two brats still want to stay here, then I promise you they’ll ‘ave to go through me to get you out.”

Dawn whispered, “Pinky swear?”

Spike scowled, “What am I, six?” He hurriedly took his hand off her shoulder and extended his hand with the little finger extended as her face fell again, “Bloody hell. Alright, pinky soddin’ swear.” Dawn curled her finger around his and they shook their hands down sharply, “Happy now?”

She sniffed and gave him a tremulous smile, “Yes.”

Spike ruffled her hair, “Good. Now you and mini-poof go and sit down and be good kids. You’re showing me up in front of the manly men there.”

Dawn gave a watery smile and slipped past Spike to lead Connor to the sofa.

They settled back into it and both fixed wary eyes on Giles and Dumbledore.

Giles cleared his throat, “Yes, well, the thing is…” He trailed off and stared helplessly at the two young faces before him.

Anya, now standing and leaning back up against Xander, huffed impatiently, “Oh for god’s sake.” She fixed Connor and Dawn with a matter of fact look, “Giles has been told by the Watcher’s Council you’re in danger.” Her eyes rolled, “Yet again. Only this time you have the most powerful dark wizard in all of history after you and his untold hordes of dark worshippers.” She looked around her at the shocked faces, “What? They needed to be told.”

Her chin lifted defiantly, “I happen to think there’s way too much coddling of the children happening in this house. Besides, if they find out where she is then the bad wizards will hit Sunnydale and destroy us all and I have a child of my own to think of now and I don’t want it to be turned into a dung beetle before I get to see it as a human.”

Xander hissed, “Anya!”

Dawn blinked, “You’re pregnant?”

Anya nodded, “Yes.” Her face screwed up with annoyance, “Oh damn it! We were meant to announce it over an expensive dinner that you would all offer to pay for, as a sign of your good wishes.” She turned an anxious face up to Xander,”They’ll still do that right? And they still have to buy us gifts?”

Xander closed his eyes and groaned. Buffy gave an excited squeal, “A baby! You’re going to have a baby!” She flung her arms around Xander and gave an enthusiastic squeeze that had his back cracking and his eyes popping. Anya beamed as Dawn bounded up and threw her arms around her, all other considerations forgotten for the moment.

Giles cleared his throat, “Well. That’s most…I must say…How wonderfully…”

Spike snorted and extracted Xander from Buffy’s happy arms and slapped his back, “Good to know you’re not completely useless, eh Harris?” He gave a wide grin and then tugged Xander to him in a manly embrace, “Can’t believe I’m actually happy there’s going to be another soddin’ Harris walking around.”

Xander grinned goofily, “And I can’t believe that William the Bloody Annoying is going to be godfather to my child. Go figure.”

Spike gave a shout of laughter, “Me either.”

They all turned as Willow came out of the kitchen, “What’s going on?”

Xander took Anya’s hand and led her over to Willow to place the witch’s hand over the demon’s belly, “Say hi to your niece or nephew.”

Willow’s hand flexed in surprise on Anya’s still flat belly and then her eyes filled with happy tears, “Oh. Oh! Really?”

She looked in awe at Anya’s midriff as the demon said firmly, “Yes. I have about another month before I get fat. It will be most unpleasant.” She placed her hand over Willow’s, “I expect you will offer me lots of help and advice. I will happily accept it, mortal babies are notoriously fragile.”

Willow gave Xander a watery grin and then threw her arms round Anya, “I’ll give you whatever you need.” She bobbed down and pressed her cheek to Anya’s tummy, “Hey baby, hey in there!”

Anya stepped back smartly, “I still like Xander, don’t get any ideas.”

Xander choked as Willow gave a watery giggle and said, “Don’t worry, Ahn, you’re safe.” She gave Buffy a sly grin and turned her back on Anya to cross to the Slayer’s side, “Fat women don’t get me off.”

* * *

  
  
  


Ron and Harry peered round the corner from the kitchen and watched silently as the tense group from moments before became one laughing mass of people, hugging and smiling as they offered their congratulations to one of the tall dark-haired men and the small, angular woman at his side. Even the boy who had been shouted at by his mother was giving the woman a hug and rubbing her belly, before punching the dark- haired man lightly on the shoulder.

Harry stepped back, “Weird.” He went back to the counter and continued to measure scoops of drinking chocolate into a massive silver teapot, “Threatening to hit people with swords one minute, and throwing a party the next.”

Ron took one last look at party that had broken out in the living room, shrugged and followed his friend, “Americans. All mad as hatters.” He brightened, “Although being allowed to apparate and disapparate without a license isn’t too bad.”

Harry nodded and flashed an answering grin, “Not bad at all. I can’t wait to tell Hermione.”

Ron rolled his eyes, “Now what do you want to go and do a thing like that for? I can just hear her now…” His voice rose up to an angry falsetto squawk, “Harry Potter, I can’t believe you were so irresponsible. When I think of what could have happened to you…blah, blah, blah.”

Harry sniggered appreciatively, “And she’ll lose the plot completely when she finds out Dumbledore was in on it.”

Ron snagged an apple from the bowl on the side and sighed happily, “Yes she will.”

He tilted his head towards the people in the living room, and the two sullen teenagers in particular, “What do you think?”

Harry carefully eased a full pan of hot milk off the stove and began to pour it into the teapot, his eyes flickered up to follow Ron’s gaze to the door before he returned his attention back to the hot chocolate. When the last drop of milk had been poured he took up the long spoon he had ready on the counter and began to stir. The fumes from the hot drink wafted up and he found himself sniffing appreciatively at the aroma, he frowned and then realized he hadn’t answered Ron, “Sorry mate, miles away.” He pushed his black hair back from his forehead for a moment, revealing the famous lightening scar, “They seem a bit odd.”

Ron snorted, “Americans.”

Harry flashed another grin, “Is that your expert opinion as Head Boy?”

Ron flushed, “Leave off, Harry. I’ve had enough mickey taking from Fred and George these holidays to last me the rest of my life.” He shook his head despairingly, “I don’t think they’ll ever get over the shame. And Percy’s still not speaking to me.”

Harry laughed and placed the lid back on the overlarge pot, “Still jealous?”

Ron got up and helped begin pile mismatched mugs and cups on a tray, “I think he actually turned green at one point.” He lifted the tray and waited for Harry to pick up the pot and then they began to amble towards the doorway, “It’s not like I wanted bloody Head Boy. Do you remember me asking for this?”

Harry gave his friend a droll look, “Welcome to my life.”

Ron laughed, “Good point.” He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, “Ready to face the nutters again?”

Harry rolled his eyes, “Well at least we can rule out a career in the Ministry for you. Subtle’s just a word to you, isn’t it?”

Ron grinned over his shoulder, “Not even that mate, not even that.”

* * *

  
  
  
  


When everyone had accepted a cup of hot chocolate, in Spike’s case with a healthy splash of scotch, they sat down and waited for Albus Dumbledore to begin to speak. Dawn felt a bit calmer, although Connor was practically vibrating with tension next to her, and she sipped her hot drink slowly, surprised that she felt more at ease with every sip. The Professor had a very calming aura around him, even ignoring his less than conventional appearance. The long silver hair stretched in a tangle free shimmering mane to his waist and he moved easily despite his obviously advanced years. Blue eyes twinkled at her from behind gold-rimmed half moon spectacles as he swallowed a large mouthful of chocolate and beamed merrily, “Ah, that’s the ticket. Nothing better than a nice bit of chocolate to calm the nerves.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Connor saw the two boys that had come with the old man exchange glances and then the red-headed one took his friend’s cup and sidled up to Buffy’s prized hibiscus plant. The boy glanced casually around the room and then tipped the contents of the two mugs into the soil with a grimace. He rejoined his friend looking mightily relieved and they exchanged smug looks, Connor looked down at his own mug and felt his stomach heave slightly at the wrinkled skin that had formed on top of the liquid. He leaned forward and set the untouched mug on the table and then eyed Dumbledore, “Tell us about this new power.”

Dumbledore looked delighted at the firm order, even though Connor had made his statement as belligerent as possible, “Not new, oh no. Lord Voldemort has been around and making trouble for some years now. Eh, Harry?”

Dawn and Connor looked at the dark haired boy as his hand rose to touch his forehead in an almost reflex action before nodding, “Yes, sir.”

“No, I’m afraid Voldemort has been a problem for some time.” For the first time Dumbledore looked saddened, “There have been some heavy blows to all of us over the years from that particular menace.”

Buffy leaned forward, “So why hasn’t anything been done? Why let it go on?”

“Alas, things are never that simple. The dark is always more seductive than the light and the fear of evil is enough to make even the bravest hold still at times.” The old man sighed, “He was stopped, once, for a time, by young Harry there.” All eyes swung to the squirming brunette in the corner as Dumbledore continued, “Years passed and we allowed ourselves to grow complacent in our wards and measures against evil.” He sighed, “And then he came back. The first time in our own school. Again Harry, this time with Ron and another courageous student stopped him.”

Connor eyed the two boys with grudging respect. Maybe they were manly dresses after all.

“And so it has gone on, year after year. We have always been able to force him back but never vanquish him completely.” He smiled at Ron and Harry briefly, “Although those two reprobates had a very good try last year.”

Ron and Harry exchanged guilty looks as they thought of their adventure through the forests of Albania and their furious battle to save Hermione and her family when they were snatched by a group of the Dark Lord’s supporters. It had taken some fast talking by Ron’s father and Dumbledore to keep them out of hot water at the Ministry when the two boys had apparated without a license in the middle of Diagon Alley with an unconscious underage witch and her two muggle parents.

Dumbledore smiled at their discomfort, “Our Misters Potter and Weasley have never been ones for standing still in the face of danger.”

Willow exchanged grins with Xander, “Why does that sound familiar?”

Dumbledore smiled, “Yes, Mr Giles said you might be familiar with the concept.”

The Scoobs grinned at their long suffering Watcher as he eyed them with resignation, “I’m afraid they really don’t understand the idea of organized regrouping in the face of overwhelming odds.” He sighed, “They tend to lean more towards being stupidly brave and ignoring all common sense.”

Buffy shrugged, “Hey, whatever works.”

Anya squeezed Giles’ arm, smiling lovingly at him, “And you taught us everything we know.”

Spike choked on his drink at the offended look on Giles’ face as Xander sniggered and turned his face to the wall to hide the smirk. Dawn cocked her head to the side and looked levelly at Dumbledore, “I don’t mean to trash all that you’ve been through, but still not seeing what all this has to do with me and Connor.” She put her cup on the floor and spread her hands in confusion, “We don’t even live in your world, what could this Mouldy Wart want with us?”

It was Harry and Ron’s turn to choke at the new name that had unintentionally just been given to the Dark Lord. Ron grinned, “You know, they’re growing on me.” Harry nodded in agreement and had a brief happy image of himself facing down Voldemort for the last time and calling him Mouldy Wart just before he vanquished him. His grin widened, the imagined look on the dark wizard’s face would be enough to keep him warm on many a cold winter’s night.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and ignored the sniggering from the far corner, “Lord Voldemort has received word that a key to open dimensions walks in this world.”

Dawn snorted, “Where’s he been? I’ve been walking in this world for nearly four years now.” She exchanged glances with Connor and rolled her eyes, “Doesn’t sound too bright for an evil genius if you ask me.”

Connor nodded in agreement, “Not the sharpest stake in the box.”

Harry nudged Ron, “I could really like them.” Ron smirked and privately wondered just what Connor and Dawn’s history was that allowed them to be so unconcerned that the darkest wizard in the world’s history was looking for them. He had the feeling that Voldemort rated pretty low on their terror level right now.

He blinked; did she just say she’d been alive for four years? His eyes flickered around the room; no one else seemed to notice anything unusual. He sighed, Hermione was right; he really needed to start paying more attention.

Dawn gestured at Willow, “Plus, we’re no slouches in the powerful mojo department ourselves.” She nodded at Anya, “In fact, we’re pretty chock full of it. If we took down a god, what makes you think we can’t kick your boy’s ass?”

Ron blinked again. No, everyone else in the room seemed to find the girl’s statement perfectly normal.

Dumbledore looked positively delighted, “You will fit in well. I can see you and Harry will complement each other wonderfully.”

Connor shot a narrow look at Harry and silently appraised him. Harry swallowed and silently willed Dumbledore to shift back to the main part of the story as Connor’s hands flexed ominously against his knees.

Thankfully the old man obliged, “I’m afraid as powerful as your own witch and various supernatural entities are they would fail in the event of a concentrated attack. The only place in our world that the Dark Lord hasn’t managed to get a firm foothold in is Hogwarts.”

“Your school?” Dumbledore nodded at Dawn’s question and watched her intently as she thought for a moment, then said hesitantly, “And you think this guy knows who I am?”

The old man shook his head, “Not yet, no. But it is only a matter of time, then he will gather his forces and attack.”

Connor slipped his arm unobtrusively around Dawn’s waist, “And where do I come in?” He squeezed Dawn apologetically, “So far it all seems to be about Dawn. Why do I have to run and hide?” His lips curled with disgust as he completed his question and Ron got the impression that running and hiding wasn’t something that Connor had much experience with. And absolutely no patience with.

Dumbledore smiled at the deceptively innocent looking boy in front of him, “The Destroyer. The name alone is enough to draw Voldemort’s attention, but when it became known that there is a link with the Key, although the link remains unclear to his spies, it is enough to draw his malevolence down on you.”

Connor nodded, “Understood.”

Dawn and Connor looked round as Buffy spoke, “It’s your decision, guys.” She darted an apologetic look at Giles as she continued, “I get that it could bring stuff to Sunnydale that we have no hope of defeating, but this is a decision that has to be theirs.” She took Spike’s hand in hers, “If you decide you want to stay and duke it out, then we’re here for you. All of us.”

Dawn watched the torn expression in her sister’s eyes and then looked at Angel for a moment, who watched Connor with the same tortured look. She thought for a moment, “What guarantee do we have that he won’t attack anyway?” She looked around at her family and then back to Dumbledore, “If we go with you and...hide.” The expression on her face made it clear that she didn’t think anymore of the idea than Connor, “Then what’s to say that he won’t hit town and kill everyone anyway?”

Dumbledore’s face sobered slightly, “I can’t offer you a guarantee that he won’t, but if he finds that you are no longer here then his attack may be swifter and less harsh.”

Dawn looked unconvinced, “Or he could go nuts and level the whole town.” She linked her fingers with Connor and pressed his hand tightly to her waist, “If we stay here, we could help. We might make a difference.”

Connor watched the white-haired man closely as he considered his next words, “Yes, you might. No one knows what may happen, after all, but your powers are new to you and Giles tells me that you have limited control over them at present. We could help you with that. Hogwarts has a fine faculty experienced in all manner of the mystical arts and we could help you hone your powers greatly.” He tipped his head to one side, “And when you finally face the Dark Lord, your strength and control will be increased immeasurably.”

Connor gave a grim smile, “So he will find us eventually?”

“Oh yes, of that there is no doubt.” Dumbledore smiled over the rim of his glasses, “But with certain steps taken, he will find it much harder to defeat and use you to his own ends.”

Connor said firmly, “But we will get to fight him eventually?”

“Most definitely.”

The expression on the boy’s face suddenly looked much happier, “And whatever happens, Dawn and I will be together?”

“You have my word.”

Connor met his father’s eyes for a moment and then placed a gentle hand on Dawn’s face to look deep into her eyes. He brushed a light kiss over her mouth and whispered, “I can think of worse things than living and dying by your side.” He frowned suddenly, “But no dying without me. That was not fun last time.”

Dawn smiled and rubbed her cheek against his calloused palm, “Deal. Are we going?”

Connor kissed her again, “We’re going.” A mischievous smile lit up his face, “A whole term of school without Spike breathing down our necks?” He kissed the tip of her nose, “Figuratively speaking, of course. Sounds good to me!”

Spike scowled from where he sprawled in his chair, “Hello, vampire? I can hear you, you know.”

The whole room looked round at a strangled yelp from the corner, “Vampire?” Ron and Harry were staring with abject horror at Spike.

The vamp in question frowned, “Well, yeah. Problem?”

“You’re a vampire.” Harry had gone rather pale, whilst Ron raised a shaking hand to his neck where he had been savaged the previous year. “You’re a bloody, filthy vampire!”

Spike nodded slowly, obviously considering the red-headed boy one step down from Xander on the intelligence scale, “Yeeess.” He pointed at Angel and said a tad defensively, “So’s he!” He scowled, “And I happen to keep myself spandy fresh, thanks.”

Angel nodded cordially at the two boys, “Hello.”

His eyebrows rose as they flinched back and he looked helplessly at Cordelia, “I… uh...Cordy...”

Cordelia smiled and stepped forward, “On it.” She shot a huge grin at the two unhappy boys, “Look, there’s no need to be scared…” Her face fell abruptly as she stared at Angel with a look of utter terror, “Blood, lots of blood. The Bronze, you need to get to the The Bronze.”

Ron clutched at Harry and whimpered as Cordelia grabbed Angel’s arm, “They’re going to die. You need to hurry.”

The vampire nodded, “On my way. Spike!”

The blonde was already moving and tipping Giles carelessly off the weapons chest on which he was perched, and ignoring the indignant protest with the ease born of long practice. “Stakes for all, Peaches.” He snatched up a handful of wooden weapons and passed them to Willow, “What are we dealin’ with ‘ere, cheerleader?”

Cordelia concentrated on the images in her head, her hand shooting up to snatch a light sword out of the air as Buffy tossed it to her without even bothering to turn her head, “Some vamps, two, no three big demons.” She shook her head, “They don’t look familiar.”

Harry’s eyes bulged slightly as the Dawn’s sister, Muffy or something, snatched a heavy broadsword out of the weapons chest and stalked to the middle of the room, “Ok, here’s the drill. Spike, Angel, head for the sewers, quick as you can. You got the backdoor.” The two vampires nodded and ran for the basement and the newly installed sewer access that Xander, Giles and Spike had installed the week the vampire had moved in with Buffy.

The Slayer turned to Willow and Xander, “You guys are with me and Cordy. We need the holy water bombs and you’re taking the cross bows and controlling aerial manoeuvres.” The two nodded and headed for the kitchen to grab the box under the sink with their less traditional weapons.” Buffy turned to Giles, “You’re co-ordination guy. Keep an eye out for anything unusual.” She gave Anya an apologetic smile when the demon stepped up gripping a small axe, “Sorry Ahn, you’re on restricted duties as of now. Research only.”

Anya pouted, “What?” She looked outraged, “I’m pregnant, not sick!”

Buffy nodded, “And that’s the way we’re going to keep you.” Her eyes swung to Dawn and Connor, “Stay here and look after our guests.” She ran for the front door as Xander and Willow headed out, “Watch your backs!”

Dawn nodded, “Don’t get dead.” The door slammed behind them and then it was quiet. For about two seconds.

“Right, Connor upstairs, make sure all the windows are shut and get the crosses up against them.” Connor ran for the stairs as Dawn stepped seamlessly into Buffy’s shoes as group leader, “Anya, go round all the downstairs rooms, same deal.” She turned to look at Professor Dumbledore, “Stay in here and away from the windows. I need to go and secure the basement. If anyone knocks at the door, don’t invite them in or step outside. There may be a chance that the Bronze thing is a diversion and they could hit Slayer central.” She snatched a sword off the wall that Ron had assumed was ornamental up until now. Dawn gave a wry sigh, “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Harry and Ron stared dumbstruck at their headmaster as they were left alone in the room. Dumbledore smiled and rubbed his hands together, “Well, this is exciting isn’t it?”

Ron and Harry looked at him and then looked at each other. Harry spoke, “What Central?”

  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


Half an hour later Dawn replaced the phone, “Stand down red alert. Crisis contained. One of the demons got out and is heading out of town, they’re going after it, but Buffy says that it shouldn’t take more than an hour. Spike and Angel have stayed at the Bronze to try and clear up a little.” She replaced her sword on the wall and sat next to Connor with a sigh of relief, “Nobody got badly hurt, just a run of the mill sacrifice. The vamps got in through the sewers and Angel said he and Spike might have a look around before they head back to make sure there’s not a nest down there.”

Connor nodded, “Ok. They need help?”

Dawn shook her head and clasped her hand loosely in his, “Nah.”

Anya got up with a happy smile, “Good. I feel hungry and as I was not allowed to fight, strangely productive. Who wants lunch?” Dawn and Connor beamed at her in approval. She returned their smiles and headed into the kitchen, “Lasagna?”

Professor Dumbledore stood and nodded at Ron sitting in the armchair and Harry perched on the armrest. “I think I’ll join Mrs. Harris in the kitchen and let you young people get acquainted.” He bustled off in Anya’s wake, muttering happily, “Fascinating. Muggle cooking, absolutely fascinating.”

Ron and Harry watched him go and then turned back to the two Americans who were far too comfortable with sharp weaponry for their liking. Dawn and Connor for their part were unimpressed with the squealing English boys that freaked over Spike and Angel, and were wondering how to ditch them.

Harry smiled uncertainly, “So, you’re coming to Hogwarts?”

The boy and girl looked back at him and nodded in unison but didn’t deign to acknowledge his question with a comment.

Harry cleared his throat uneasily, “Right. That’s great.” He threw Ron a look that plainly said ‘For Merlin’s sake, help me out here!’ and nodded stupidly, “That’s great. We have a lot of fun.”

Dawn and Connor exchanged looks and then looked back at Harry coldly. Harry kicked Ron’s ankle sharply.

“Bloody hell!” Ron grabbed his throbbing ankle and glared at his friend, “What the bleeding hell was that for?” Harry glared back and raised his eyebrows to indicate it was now Ron’s turn to make small talk. Ron rubbed his ankle theatrically for a moment and then turned to Dawn and Connor. “What was all the fuss about earlier? The swords and stuff.” He waved his hand to indicate the still open weapons chest, “That happen a lot?”

Dawn looked at the empty trunk, “Yes, actually.”

Ron opened his mouth and then closed it again. He sneaked a look up at Harry and then concluded weakly, “Oh. Right.” He smiled uneasily, “Weird.”

Connor lost interest in the two boys altogether and tipped his head back to contemplate the ceiling and just how long it took to make lasagna from scratch. He narrowed his eyes and wondered what the chances were of getting Anya to use her powers to speed the process up a bit.

Dawn started playing with the ends of her hair and answered Ron after a long pause, “Not really. We’re on a Hellmouth and Buffy’s the Slayer. These things happen.”

Harry mentally snapped his fingers. That was it, Buffy not Muffy. He shifted his weight on the narrow arm of the chair and adjusted his robes, “What’s a slayer?”

Dawn yawned and said in an undertone to Connor, “I am so bored of this speech. We really need to get cards printed or something.” Her boyfriend nodded in agreement as she looked over at Harry and continued, “In every generation there is a chosen one. She will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.” Dawn held her hand up to the light and examined the nails critically as she said in a bored tone, “Yada, yada. ‘She’ in this case being Buffy.”  
  


Ron and Harry exchanged confused looks and then Ron said slowly, “Right. Um… she does know she missed two?”

Dawn was surprised into a giggle, she gave the red head a semi-friendly grin, “Kinda hard not too. She’s boinking the blond one.”

There was a brief pause and then Ron screwed up his face in disgust, “Ugh. She’s screwing a dead man?”

Connor raised his head from the back of the sofa, “We prefer the term ‘Alternatively Alive.”

Ron looked horrified, “You’re a vampire too?”

Connor smiled reassuringly, “Of course not.” He watched as Ron’s face flooded with relief, “My father is. He’s the one with the dark hair.”

Harry laughed as he watched Ron’s face fall again and said, “Sorry. Its just where we come from vampires aren’t a good thing.”

Dawn relaxed slightly against Connor’s side, “They aren’t that great here. Spike and Angel are…different. They have souls. Their demons are pretty dormant.” She paused, thought of Riley when Spike had killed him the previous month and said honestly, “Well, unless they get pissed, then they get pretty intense.” Dawn tilted her head and said curiously, “Have you met many vampires?”

Ron touched his neck and his face clouded, “One or two.”

Connor cocked his head and scowled sympathetically, “Got bit, huh?”

Ron thought of the puckered scar that measured four inches across on the base of his neck, “You could say that.” His mouth dropped open as Dawn pulled the neck of her top down to reveal a smooth, white shoulder and a white bite mark marring the otherwise blemish free skin.

“First time staking a vamp.” She let her top spring back into place and then pulled up the hem of her shirt to twist round and show four raised white scars running along her lower back, “Last time out with a hell hound.”

Connor snorted and rolled up his sleeve, “Oh please.” He extended his bicep and flexed the raised lividly purple scar that ran from his shoulder to his wrist, “Now that’s a scar!”

Dawn poked his arm and mocked, “You drew that on before you came over.” She hiked up her pants leg, “I win!”

Connor raised his eyebrow at the jagged white scar that bit dip into her calf muscle, “Whoa.” He stroked a gentle finger along her skin, “What did that?”

Dawn grinned, “Crashed my bike through our patio door when I was six.” She squealed with laughter as Connor grabbed her and began to tickle her unmercifully. After an elongated battle, which ended with Connor face down on the sofa and his girlfriend pressing a cushion over his head and then bouncing her butt off it shouting, “Loser! Loser!” at the top of her voice, Dawn faced Harry and Ron again.

“So, any other battle scars?”

Harry slowly pushed his hair back off his forehead, “Just this.” He gave Dawn a shy smile, “Voldemort gave it to me when he killed my parents.”

Dawn’s eyes flashed with sympathy and then she caught the resigned look come over Harry’s face as he saw it. She cocked her head to one side and came to the conclusion that Harry Potter had had all the sympathy he could stand over that particular scar, “Now that’s a doozy.” She nudged Connor, “See? Subtle yet dramatic. You want to get one of those.”

Harry let his hair flap back down and gave Dawn a wide grin. He had a feeling he was going to like her after all


	3. Chapter Three

An hour later and things were going swimmingly. Dawn, Connor, Harry and Ron had retired to Dawn’s bedroom while they awaited the return of the others and were swapping tales of their adventures amid much hoots of disbelief and catcalling from each other.

“No way! In a box?”

Connor nodded, “Uh-huh. Took him right out into sea and heaved him overboard.”

Ron grinned, “Remind me never to piss you off.”

Harry choked on his soda and ducked Dawn’s playful swipe as the coke dripped onto her bed cover, “And you died?”

Dawn scowled at the brown mark on her previously immaculate white cover, “Yup. Which is what you’ll be doing if you don’t get that cleared up.”

Ron smirked, “Nah, not Harry. He’s the boy-who-lived, you can’t kill him. What would the Daily Prophet write about then?”

Harry scowled at his friend, “Oh ha ha.” With a swift kick Ron was sent flying off the bed and crashing onto the floor, “Maybe they could start on their second favourite subject….you!”

Dawn snagged a handful of the pretzels that Connor had swiped from the kitchen and laughed as Ron flushed an unhappy red, “It’s not my fault. Bloody Rita sodding Skeeter.”

He climbed off the floor and back onto the bed as Harry explained to their two new friends, “After we got Hermione home, a reporter from the wizarding world that we’ve had run ins with before managed to sneak into the Merlin Memorial Hospital and get to Ron while he was still under a spell to control the pain from his little scratches…” He laughed as Ron took a swing at him, “And little Ronnikins here gave her a full exclusive on everything we’d been up to on our trip and the next morning we woke up to the headline ‘Ron Weasley: Saviour of the Saviour of the World!’ with a lovely picture of the hero himself unconscious on a hospital bed, wearing nothing but his underpants!”

Ron finally managed to get Harry in a neck lock and silence his howling friend, “Yeah, yeah, very funny.” He rubbed his knuckles briskly over Harry’s hair, ignoring the yell of pain, “Thanks to bloody Rita Skeeter I couldn’t even get home these holidays so I’ve had to stay at Hogwarts with the-boy-no-one-wants here.”

Harry popped up again, “And don’t forget all those people from ‘Teenwitch’, ‘WizardingWow!’ and ‘PlayWitch’ that want you to pose in those pants again!” He snorted with laughter, “’Cept ‘PlayWitch’, they just wanted some tasteful shots of the hero of the hour with a just broom and a wand.”

Ron glared at his helplessly laughing friend as Dawn and Connor tried to hold back the giggles, “I’ll stick that broom and wand somewhere in a minute…”

They all turned as Dawn’s bedroom door opened and Willow stuck her head in, “Grub’s up. Come and get it while it still looks kinda dead.”

The door shut again and Harry turned to Dawn uncertainly, “That was a joke, right?”

Dawn shrugged and allowed Connor to pull her off the bed and into his arms for a quick kiss, “Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure.” She walked to the door with Connor and then turned to grin back at the two boys following her, “But just in case, grab a stake from the jar in the hall. We did mention Anya’s also a demon right? She’s a little…inventive, when it comes to cooking.”

* * *

  
  
  


Thanks to Professor Dumbledore the Summers dining table had been extended a little to accommodate the wealth of extra diners sitting down to lunch. Dawn and the other teenagers bagged one end of the table and began to dig enthusiastically into the plates of steaming lasagna, garlic bread and salad. Ron and Harry eyed theirs uncertainly at first and then after cautious prodding with their forks, attacked the steaming plateful with abandon.

Buffy helped herself to a generous slice of lasagna and said in an undertone to Spike, “So, she looks ok, right?”

Spike glanced down the table at Dawn happily chatting to Harry as she shoveled a fork load of pasta and meat into her mouth, and winced as she continued to chew as she talked, “Yeah, she looks ok.” He sipped his mug of blood and placed his hand over hers, “If she wants to go, Slayer, then we should let ‘er.” He looked at Dumbledore briefly as he explained to a fascinated Anya the concept of house elves and cooking, “I think this bloke’s ok. He’ll look after ‘er.”

Buffy nodded and pushed the pasta round her plate, “I guess. I just can’t help feeling that we’re being hasty about all this. There must be something we can do to keep her safe here.”

Angel looked round from where he sat on her left hand side, “I don’t think there is. I had Fred get on the computer last night as soon as Giles called us. From what she was able to pull up on this Voldemort he’s a real bad ass.” His eyes flicked down to Connor and he said in a lower tone, “I don’t think we stand a chance if we stand and fight now. Maybe with a few months research…” His voice trailed off, making it clear that he was uneasy about their chances even then.

Buffy sighed, “I know. I just wish there was something we could do. I don’t like the idea of her being so far away, especially after what happened last month…”

The three fell silent again as they each remembered the desperate hours when they thought Dawn had been lost to them forever after getting staked by an ex-lover of Buffy’s.

Dawn snorted at the end of the table having caught Buffy’s last remark, “Hello? Welcome to my life. How many times have I had to watch you die now? You owe me.” She nudged Harry companionably, “She’s died three times that we know of. It’s getting embarrassing.”

Ron and Harry’s heads swivelled round to gape at the squirming Buffy. “Three times? Bloody hell!”

Buffy scowled at Ron’s awed exclamation, “It’s not like I did it on purpose. The drowning thing hardly counted, the tower thing saved the world and the getting shot thing was a total accident.”

Dawn smiled gently at Willow as they both remembered the loss of Tara and then gave the witch a broad wink, “I’m just saying, you’d think with all the times you’ve up and died on me you’d cut me a little slack on the one time I did it.” She grinned at Cordelia, “Although I get the feeling that people from Sunnydale aren’t gonna find it as easy to die as they used to. The Powers are getting pretty p/o’d with us showing up in the spiritual realms, then turning round and heading back home again.”

Cordelia looked longingly at the garlic bread and then regretfully decided that she’d rather have smoochies with her dead hunk of a lover than him whining for the next few days that she was burning his mouth every time she kissed him. She looked up at Dawn and returned the grin, “Ain’t that the truth. You know, sweetie, you could think about making a little retreat for the Scoobs once you get your powers down. Y’know, somewhere we can kick back and relax the next time we kick the bucket. Just somewhere to hang while we figure out whether we have to come on back or not.”

Dawn looked at Cordelia thoughtfully, “Hey, that’s not a bad idea.” She flicked a wicked look at Buffy, “And I could get one of those cool revolving doors fitted, save you some time, Buff.”

Anya leapt enthusiastically into the breach, “Or one of those giant rubber bands that the fluffy cartoon desert dog uses when he’s trying to catch that annoying honking bird.”

Xander threw back his head and laughed, “Slingshot Slayer! I like that.”

Giles scowled at all of them, “Ahem. As entertaining as this is, perhaps we could get back to more important matters rather than giving Dawn silly ideas that could destroy the dimensional balance.”

“You really need to lighten up, Giles.” Cordelia gave the watcher a disapproving look and bit down on a tomato and resolutely ignored the garlic bread that now seemed to be waving it’s tushie seductively at her and calling her name like a stinky little siren.

Willow, peacemaker extraordinaire, jumped in hastily, “So, when do you want the kids to be ready? I mean there’s plane tickets and books and all kinds of stuff we need to get them.” She bounced slightly on her chair as she thought of all the academic shopping to be done, earning an exasperated look from all her friends.

“You are such a geek.” Xander ruffled her hair affectionately, ignoring the outraged pout from his oldest friend.

Dumbledore smiled, “I’m afraid their school supplies are rather specialized, you won’t be able to procure them locally.” He popped a bit of garlic bread into his mouth with a beatific smile and chewed happily for a moment before continuing, “I have brought a device with me that will make travel much easier as well. In fact, all they need are some funds and we can leave as soon as they have packed a few personal effects.”

Connor blinked, “You mean today?” He looked at Dawn and saw she looked as stunned as he did, “I thought we’d have a few days.”

Dumbledore shook his head, “Oh no, indeed. The school term starts in two days and you need quite a few pieces of equipment. I rather thought we’d be off after we’ve finished this splendid lunch.”

Buffy dropped her fork onto her plate with a clatter, “But…but…it’s too soon. What about the schools they’re at now? They’ll have to be told. There’s transfer papers to take care of and Dawn’s under state supervision, I have to inform them.” She looked wildly at Spike and saw him staring in disbelief at Dumbledore.

Dawn gripped Connor’s hand, “My friends. I have to say goodbye to my friends. And Connor has people in LA.”

Connor looked confused for a minute and then realized that he’d never actually got around to telling Dawn that he had no friends in LA aside from his father’s crew. And he was pretty much wearing what he owned.

Giles leaned forwards and divided his attention between the two stunned sets of parents, “The council will take care of all that. As far as any authorities will know, Dawn and Connor have both transferred out of state, in Dawn’s case to complete her final school year under the supervision of her father.” He pushed the nearly empty plate of garlic bread aside and Cordelia’s nose twitched like a rabbit’s as the succulent pieces of bread began to call her name again. Giles continued regardless, “They will do some traditional lessons at Hogwarts under certain carefully selected tutors and then they will sit their finals either here or in England, depending on how long it takes us to neutralize this new threat.” He smiled at Buffy, “Whatever happens, their education will not suffer I promise you.”

Dawn cut her eyes to Connor and muttered, “Well, that’s a relief.” He ginned at her dry tone and then looked at Angel as his father spoke up quietly.

“So, they’re leaving today?” He looked at Connor for a moment and his eyes showed briefly his pain at losing his precious son again.

Connor blinked at the love and pain radiating from his father and then gave Angel a slow, sweet smile, “But this time, you know I’ll be back.”

Cordelia took her love’s hand and firmly turned her back on the increasingly lascivious garlic bread, “Yes, we do.” She squeezed Angel’s hand firmly, “You’re going to have a blast.”

Dawn slipped her hand into Connor’s under the table and felt some of her tension ease slightly as he stroked his thumb over her skin. She smiled at Buffy bravely and then at Spike, “We’ll be fine. We’ll miss you guys, but this is definitely the right thing to do.”

Spike nodded shortly and then looked at Professor Dumbledore sharply, “They’ll be in separate bits of the school after lights out, right?”

* * *

  
  
  


It was just past three in the afternoon when Dawn and Connor stood in Dawn’s front room and prepared to say goodbye to their families for what might have been forever for all they knew. Dawn had packed a small suitcase containing underwear and a few favourite articles of clothing and it stood ready at her feet. A small backpack hung over her shoulder with a diary, a picture of the Scoobs and the essential hardware that no Scoob travelled without. Stakes, holy water, a small collapsible crossbow and two spare crucifixes to go with the one that hung around her neck.

Unbeknownst to Spike there was also a packet of condoms that Willow had slipped her earlier. Dawn’s eyes flicked to the witch who gave her a broad wink and exchanged smug looks with Anya. Dawn still reeling from the fact that two of her unofficial guardians had basically given her the green light in seducing Connor, gave them an unsteady smile and swallowed nervously as she thought of the book that Anya had slipped into her hands when Willow’s back had turned. After a quick glance through it the book had been tossed in the bottom of the suitcase and the lid slammed firmly down, she was positive that not even Buffy and Spike could manage some of the positions depicted and they were among some of the most flexible people she knew.

She watched as Connor was hugged by his mother and father, who slipped him what looked to be a considerable roll of cash. The boy stood tall in a fitted leather jacket, battered jeans and his usual washed out t-shirt. A hastily purchased backpack stood on the floor next to him filled with new underwear and a change of clothes that Cordelia had instructed him to wash on occasion not just throw on the floor to rot in a steaming heap.

Dawn gave a watery smile as one by one Xander and the others hugged her tightly and whispered words of love and encouragement. She clung tightly to Willow as the witch snuffled into her hair and then she was enfolded in Giles’ warm embrace. “Take care of them, ok?”

The older man nodded, slightly choked up himself, “I will, I promise.”

Dawn raised herself to kiss him affectionately on the cheek, “Good. Because if I hear Buffy’s died again before I get that rubber band fitted I’m gonna be pissed.”

Giles laughed and brushed an affectionate hand over her cheek, “You have my word, no dying of any kind will be permitted.”

He stepped back as Spike nudged him out of the way and enveloped Dawn in a fierce hug, “You write everyday, y’hear me, Nibblet? Don’t you let any o’ them bloody magical misfits give you a hard time.” He pulled back and stared into her eyes with a twisted grin, “You tell ol’ Spike if any of ‘em get outta hand and I’ll be over quick smart to drain ‘em and snap their pansy little arses into bits.”

Ron and Harry looked slightly green at his vicious statement, but Dawn’s eyes flowed over despite her best intentions and she flung her arms around his neck to hold him tightly, “I love you too, Spike.” She pushed her face into the curve of his neck and whispered, “I’m going to miss you so much.”

Spike clung to her for a moment and then pulled her arms from around his neck and turned her into Buffy’s embrace. His face worked for a moment and then he turned to stare casually out the window fighting for control. Xander snatched a handful of tissues from a box on the table and held them out, wincing in disgust when Spike threw him a poisonous look and wiped his face and nose on the sleeve of his t-shirt. “Ewww!”

Spike growled, “Just be thankful I ain’t blowin’ me nose on you, Harris.”

Buffy held Dawn softly to her and whispered, “You know why I agreed to this, right? I don’t want you to go but…” Her breath hitched slightly, “Oh god, Dawnie, I can’t watch you die again.”

Dawn sniffed and hung on to her sister tightly, “I know, it’s ok.” She stepped back and gave a wry grin, “Now you know how I feel every time you go out the door.” Tears trickled from her eyes as she kissed Buffy’s cheek and said unsteadily, “Just promise me, the minute this guy gets dusted you’ll bring us home.”

Buffy leaned gratefully against Spike’s chest as he slipped unsteady arms around her, “I promise. The ashes won’t even have time to touch the floor.”

Dawn smiled and turned into Connor’s arms. She hung on tightly as Cordy and Angel scooted to stand with the Scoobs and Harry took hold of her suitcase. Professor Dumbledore held out a carrot, “Just place your finger on here and keep it pressed firmly down.”

There was a brief silence as Dawn and Connor regarded the white-haired old man and briefly reconsidered the wisdom of entrusting their lives to a man that thought it was entirely normal to travel by root vegetable and then they exchanged looks and put their fingers out to gingerly touch the slightly muddy surface.

For a moment nothing happened and then Dawn felt herself jerked forward suddenly, she heard Spike yell “DAWN!” and then she had the sensation of rushing forward whilst staying in exactly the same place.

With a sudden jolt they halted and she was thrown face first into Harry’s shoulder. She gave him an apologetic smile and straightened up only to stare incredulously around herself as she realised that she was most definitely no longer in Sunnydale. Ron grinned at Connor and Dawn as they turned in a slow, stunned circle, “Welcome to Diagon Alley.”

Dumbledore took them into The Leaky Cauldron to book some rooms for the night and then once their bags had been stowed away led them into the bright morning sunshine, “Well, I think Harry and Ron will be able to look after you from here. I’m afraid the time difference puts us a good few hours behind California, will you be alright?”

Dawn blinked at the nearest shop that was piled high with cauldrons of every size and colour, “What? Oh, yeah, we’ll be fine. We’re used to being up at all hours.”

The professor nodded, “Capital. Well, stay in the alley and you’ll be perfectly safe. The boys will show you where you need to go to get your money changed over and then they’ll take you to pick up your school things, alright?” Dawn and Connor nodded dumbly, “Marvellous. Well, have fun and Potter, no more than two pints of butterbeer, you rascal!”

He strode off into the bustling crowd of witches and wizards thronging the narrow street and was soon lost too sight. Harry grinned at the two Americans as they stared around themselves, “Unbelievable isn’t it? I first came here when I was eleven and I had no idea magic was real, much less lived with vampires and stuff.” He jerked his head, “This way, don’t worry, you’ll soon get used to it.”

Connor took Dawn’s hand firmly in his and followed the two boys down the street. Everywhere he looked men and women were bustling about in long robes, going about their daily business. He was aware of stares following them as they walked but soon realized that they were directed at Ron and Harry rather then Dawn and himself in their jeans and leather jackets. It seemed Harry and Ron were aware of it also as their pace picked up considerably until they finally entered the doors of a gleaming white building at a brisk trot.

Ron wiped a hand over his glowing red face and glared around himself, “Bloody Rita Skeeter.”

Harry caught the eye of a group of simpering girls, standing giggling as they eyed himself and Ron with delight, “Bloody hell.” He steered Dawn and Connor over to a built up desk and resolutely tuned out the whispers and pointing fingers behind them, “Hello. We’d like to open two accounts and change some muggle money, please.”

The goblin behind the desk leaned forward and peered down, “Identification.”

Harry pulled his account key out of his pocket and passed it over, the goblin glared over his half moon glasses looking uncannily like Giles for a minute, “Not yours Mr. Potter. Theirs.”

Harry flushed, “Oh. Right.” He rocked back on his heels and looked at Ron who was busy glaring furiously at a young woman holding a copy of the Daily Prophet that featured his nearly naked body on the front and whispering frantically to her friend. Both women looked up at him and broke out into giggles. Ron’s big hands clenched into tight fists, “I’m going to bloody stuff that woman’s quill and stupid glasses down her throat when I catch up with her.” He looked round as Harry poked him sharply in the side, “What?”

Harry tugged a hand through his already untidy hair, making it stick up at angles and giving him the air of a faintly worried hedgehog, “They need ID.”

Ron directed one last glare at the two giggling women and then turned his full attention to the problem in hand, “So, show them your key, you stupid git.”

Harry sighed as Dawn smothered a smirk of amusement, “Not our ID. Something for them.”

Ron rolled his eyes and turned to the goblin, “They don’t have any. They live in the muggle world.”

The goblin looked at Dawn and Connor, “Are they going to Hogwarts?” Ron nodded, “Then they can use their acceptance letter as identification.”

Ron and Harry exchanged slightly panicked looks as Harry said, “They don’t have acceptance letters. Professor Dumbledore went and got them personally.”

The goblin managed to convey with one twitch of his eyebrow that if Professor Dumbledore failed to provide adequate identification for his enrolling students that would ensure their smooth transition from muggle to wizards then that was hardly his affair…or problem. And he wouldn’t care if it was. He leaned back in his chair and began to examine some parchment documents before him, “No identification, no money.”

Ron crossed his arms over his chest, “Fantastic. Now what?”

Harry opened his mouth but before he could get a sound out, a bellow echoed round the cavernous walls of the goblin bank, “’Arry Potter! I’ve bin’ lookin’ fer yeh!”

Ron was sure if he’d have blinked he would have missed what happened next. Connor and Dawn went from looking at him and Harry as they did battle with the goblin, to bursting apart, whirling round and somehow ending up with Dawn clinging to Reubus Hagrid’s best hairy suit and holding a sharp looking dagger to his throat and Connor aiming a crossbow bolt dead between his eyes.

“Bleeding hell!” Ron stood staring as Harry shot past him with a yell and jumped in front of Connor waving his arms frantically

“No, no, no! He’s a friend! Stop it!”

Connor narrowed his eyes, “Are you sure?” He peered round the frantically hopping Harry and eyed the frozen Hagrid up and down, “He didn’t sound very friendly.”

  
  


Harry was now engaged in trying to pull Dawn off Hagrid’s shoulders, “Yes, I’m sure!” He tugged at Dawn’s legs, “Will you get down!”

Connor put up his crossbow, “Ok. I think he’s alright.”

Dawn sniffed, “Hmm.” She glared for another moment and then slithered down to stand on the floor, “Ok, but if he goes postal on us, I’m blaming you guys.” She sauntered back to Connor’s side casually tucking her knife back into the sheath strapped to the small of her back.

Hagrid stared in amazement at Harry and Ron and then at their two companions, “Wot are they? Did Dumbledore hire yeh some bodyguards?”

Harry was busy trying to peer up at Hagrid’s throat to check for damages so Ron, with a last incredulous look at Connor and Dawn, answered, “No. They’re new students, he wanted us to look after them.”

Hagrid tipped his massive head to one side, “Blimey. Bit nervy aren’t they?”

Harry grinned affectionately at his friend, “A bit. How are you Hagrid?”

The giant took his eyes off Dawn and Connor and beamed happily down at his two young friends, “Fine. Bin’ busy with some important work for the headmaster...” He tipped his head to one side and tapped his nose with a wink, “An’ I bin off to see Madame Maxime o’ course.” Harry and Ron grinned as Hagrid flushed a wonderful bright scarlet and continued hastily, “Just as friends like, nothin’ funny goin’ on.”

Harry turned and waved Dawn and Connor forward, “Hagrid, this is Dawn Summers and Connor Angel. They’re joining the seventh year with us. Dawn, Connor, this is Reubus Hagrid, groundskeeper at Hogwarts.”

Hagrid extended one massive hand, “Pleased t’ meet yeh.”

Dawn placed her much smaller hand in his and smiled briefly, “Hi. Sorry about before; we thought Harry might be in trouble.”

Hagrid shook Connor’s hand and smiled down at the slightly embarrassed Dawn, “Don’t you worry yeh ‘ead about it, miss, ‘appens all the time.”

He turned back to Harry, “What yer doin’ ere then ‘Arry? Getting’ yeh stuff for school are yer?”

Harry’s face clouded as he remembered why they were standing in Gringotts in the first place, “We were trying to change some muggle money over and open a couple of new accounts, but we haven’t got the right identification.”

Hagrid’s face flushed angrily, “What? Don’t they know who yeh are?” He pushed past the teenagers to thump an angry fist down under the snobbish goblin’s nose, “Yeh listen ‘ere you little bastard, yeh ‘elp Mr. Potter ‘ere do what he ‘as to do or I’ll feed yeh to me blast ended skrewts, so help me, I will.”

The goblin rocked back slightly under the loud shout but otherwise remained unmoved, “No identification, no money.”

Hagrid scowled, “Why yeh…..” He raised his fist again, plainly intending to bring it down on the goblin’s head when a new voice interrupted.

“Is there a problem?”

Hagrid turned his head and bent over slightly to focus on a small wrinkled head that just about came up to his knees, “An’ who are you?”

“Edan Alanus, head goblin at Gringotts.” The gobin looked up at Hagrid in disapproval and flicked a piece of invisible lint from his immaculate robes, “Is there a problem?”

Hagrid scowled, “Too right there’s a problem. ‘Arry Potter and Ron Weasley are ‘ere doin’ official business for Professor Dumbledore, and this little pip squeak won’t let ‘em do it.”

Ron shut his eyes as Hagrid’s voice bounced of the walls of the bank, “Oh bloody hell.”

Hagrid swept on, “That’s two of the bes’ boys its ever been my privilege to know, an’ a prefect and head boy at Hogwarts I’ll ‘ave yeh know, and yer little servin’ git ‘ere won’t let ‘em do their business.”

Harry smothered a laugh as Ron muttered, “There’s never a bloody evil wizard around when you want one is there?” Harry glanced at Dawn and Connor and found them both highly entertained by the scene Hagrid was creating. He jumped as he heard his name.

“I do apologize, Mr. Potter. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do, however…” The goblin swept on ignoring Hagrid’s rumble of extreme disapproval, “If Mr. Hagrid here could be prevailed upon to sign for your friends’ good character and identity then we can get the accounts set up forthwith.”

Harry blinked, “Oh. Well, I could sign for them…”

“Unacceptable I’m afraid. The procedure requires a signature of an adult.”

Harry looked helplessly at Hagrid who beamed happily, “O’ course I’ll sign for ‘em ‘Arry. Come on then, let’s get started!”

He nudged the goblin still sitting behind the desk, “Oi, you, get yeh finger out.” The goblin glared angrily at the giant as he loomed over him and then began to collect various parchment forms together with annoyed rattles and shakes.

Harry nodded to the head goblin as he stalked off and then grinned at Dawn and Connor, “Right then, we’d better get a move on. Still got a lot to do.”

* * *

  
  
  


Connor folded his arms and glared threateningly at Harry as he held out a black robe, “I am not wearing a dress.” He tensed his arms, making his biceps bulge alarmingly against the tight leather covering them. His eyebrows came together as Harry took another step closer, “I. Am. Not. Wearing. A. Dress.”

Harry sighed, “It’s not a dress. It’s a robe and everyone has to wear one at Hogwarts.”

Connor stared flatly into Harry’s eyes, “Not me.”

Dawn choked back a snigger as Harry glared back at her boyfriend and abruptly lowered the robe with an impatient sigh, “Look, Connor…” He visibly fought for patience and then said in a reasonable tone, “Connor, we’ve been here forty minutes now and we still haven’t picked up your uniform. You are going to Hogwarts, you need a uniform, this…” He waved the piece of black cloth with a scowl, “Is your uniform. Can you at least put it over your shoulders, just for a minute, so we can make sure that you aren’t going to be tripping over the hem when you wear it at school?”

Connor raised an eyebrow, “I’m not wearing a dress.”

Harry stopped short of stamping his foot but did succumb to the urge to throw the robe on the floor, ignoring the annoyed exclamation from Madame Malkin, and bellowed, “Dawn!”

Dawn hopped down from the footstool she was on and skipped over to Harry’s side. She was wearing her new Hogwarts’ robes over her jeans and tee shirt and brushed happily at the soft, heavy material as she beamed up at the exasperated brunette. “Yes, Harry?”

“Will you talk to that bloody, irritating idiot and tell him it’s not a bloody dress?”

Dawn’s grin widened as Harry’s voice rose in a shout and she turned to look at the stubborn Connor. He divided his glare between Harry and his girlfriend, “I’m not wea…”

Dawn rolled her eyes and jumped up beside him on the narrow dressmaker’s platform. She pressed her mouth to his and flicked her tongue teasingly against Connor’s upper lip, “Yeah, yeah. I know, you’re not wearing a dress.” Her arms slipped around his neck and she pressed herself up against him, rubbing enticingly until his arms loosened and wound around her waist to pull her flush against him. Dawn leaned in even more and began to skip butterfly kisses along his rigid jaw and along the line of his neck.

“You know…” kiss, kiss, lick “Giles told me that in the old days…” she sucked a tiny fold of skin into her mouth and grazed her teeth lightly against it, grinning when she felt him shudder, “That a sign of a really macho guy…” kiss, kiss, lick and suck, “Was when he wore a robe all the time but still knew how to show he was all man.”

Harry blinked as her pelvis tilted towards Connor slightly and rubbed against his crotch. He didn’t know about the American but he was about to promise Dawn Summers just about anything as long as she came over to him and gave him the same treatment.

Connor licked suddenly dry lips and desperately tried to remember what he was so annoyed about as all the blood in his body abruptly headed south. Dawn raised herself up on her tiptoes and ran the edge of her tongue in a slow movement along the lobe of Connor’s ear, “I can so see why those old guys had so much appeal to the ladies in the big dresses.” Her teeth nipped lightly at his ear and then her mouth began a slow, warm path back to his mouth, “I’ve been watching all these guys all day, and I gotta tell you…” Her mouth nipped lightly at the corner of his, “The way those robes flow about them when they walk really gets me going.” Her mouth closed over his and she pressed against him with a little moan as he pulled her in and began to savage her willing lips.

Harry was aware his mouth was hanging open as he watched the two on the pedestal but he couldn’t seem to get himself together enough to close it. He blinked as Connor pulled Dawn up on her toes and wrapped one strong hand in her hair to pull her head back to give him better access to her mouth. She shivered and pressed against Connor as he took control of the kiss and left the boy who lived wondering what would happen to him if he did that to some of the girls of his acquaintance. He blinked again as one of Connor’s hands snaked down Dawn’s back to cup her butt and pull her more firmly against him. Harry felt his mouth begin to sag open once more. Why didn’t he know any girls like Dawn?

“Ahem. Ahem.” Madame Malkin appeared in front of Harry’s line of vision, a scowl marring her normally cheerful face. “Mister Potter, this is an establishment of good repute, and while I would never normally criticize you…”

Harry tore his eyes away from the oblivious couple, “What? Oh. Oh. Right. Sorry.” He edged round the angry witch and moved to tug awkwardly on the hem of Dawn’s robe. “Dawn.” The entwined lovers ignored him except for a low moan from Connor as Dawn’s hips bucked against him when he clenched her butt again, “Dawn!” Harry felt his face glow with embarrassment and he was fairly certain if they didn’t knock it off soon then his hair would burst into flames from the heat of his skin, “DAWN!”

Dawn blinked as she heard her name come from far away and then looked over her shoulder as she felt another tug on her robes and saw a hot pink Harry staring up at her, “Um…yeah?”

Harry looked up at her glowing face. Her eyes were incredibly bright, but heavy lidded with lust, her lips swollen after the less than gentle attentions of Connor’s mouth. She dragged her tongue over the trembling tissue of her lower lip and tried to focus, “What…um…is…um…” Harry raised an eyebrow as she sucked in a shaky breath and blinked furiously to focus on a train of thought, “What is it?”

Connor blinked as Harry gestured at the irate looking witch behind him and breathed in the scent of Dawn with a heavy dollop of both their arousals as he tried to regroup his thoughts, “Madame wants to fit the robes.”

Dawn’s eyes moved slowly to the proprietor and then drifted back to Harry, “Right. Ok. That should be fine.” She loosened Connor’s arms around her and then jumped gracefully off the pedestal. Unfortunately her concentration was still on the tingling in her lips and the pure fire that seemed to be raging in her groin, and her knees went from under her to send her toppling face forward onto the floor.

Harry scooped her up, “Are you alright?”

Dawn nodded vacantly at his anxious face, “Huh? Oh yeah. I’m fine.” She cast a look over her shoulder at Connor as he stood staring with the fixed expression of a hungry lion seeing his first antelope after a dry spell. Dawn gave Harry a faintly smug look, “Fixed his wagon, huh?” Her knees continued to tremble as Connor’s tongue flicked out, making him look more predatory than ever, “I need to sit down for a minute.”

Harry watched her stagger off to sink unsteadily into a chair in the corner. He turned back to Connor and then blushed yet again when he caught sight of the tell tale bulge in the front of his jeans. Harry whirled in a blaze of material that surely would have had Dawn dribbling if she’d have been in any state to notice it, and grabbed Madame Malkin’s arm as she bustled by him in a bundle of moral indignation, “We may need another minute here, Madame.” He ignored her squawk of fury and bustled her back over to Dawn, “Dress robes. Please.”

* * *

  
  
  


After the three had left the robe shop and had met up with Ron, fresh from a frantic battle with an elderly witch determined to see up his robes in order to confirm that he really did look that good naked, they made their way down the street to Mr Ollivander’s wand shop.

Dawn and Connor wandered ahead slightly, the screaming sexual tension between them silent now except for a slight frisson whenever they would catch one another’s eye. Harry mooched along in their wake listening with half an ear to Ron as he spluttered in indignation beside him, “In the middle of the sodding queue for Merlin’s sake! My bloody arms full of bloody books and some old hag with three warts and a stoat on her shoulder lifted up my robe and yanked on my bloody belt!”

Harry was still pre-occupied with the Dawn and Connor hot lovin’ road show (one night only, get your ticket while you can!) and nodded vacantly, “Yeah?”

Ron shifted the heavy bags he carried that contained four complete sets of Hogwarts year seven reading requirements, “Yes! She was older than my mother!” His face blushed tomato red again, “I ended up dancing round sodding Flourish and Blotts like a dervish and getting bitten by a rogue copy of The Monster Book Of Monsters that had escaped and gone wild in the home medicine section and had hidden in the relaxant charms, doped out of its mind until I stood on its spine and it shot up my robe.” He shuddered, “It could have been very nasty.”

Harry nodded, “Nasty, yeah.” He stopped suddenly and put his hand on Ron’s arm to pull him to a halt outside a shop that advertised self-flaming lamps and fires (Get ‘em while they’re hot!). “Ron, do you think Dumbledore’s gone a bit far this time?” He nodded at the backs of Dawn and Connor as they continued their slow walk up the street, “I mean, it’s a bit risky isn’t it? The son of two vampires and someone that can destroy the world as easy as she can snuff out a candle. There must have been somewhere else he could have sent them.”

Ron frowned, “What are you on about? You heard him, there’s nowhere that they’re going to be safe.” He flexed his fingers unhappily against the twine biting into them, “You saw their families, if they don’t stand a chance of protecting them if Voldemort comes for them, then what chance are they going to have hiding anywhere in our world except Hogwarts?”

Harry frowned uneasily, “I know. It’s just…” An image of Connor dragging Dawn against him in Madam Malkin’s popped up in his head again and he blinked slightly stupidly at Ron, “They’re so different to us.” He gestured helplessly and tried to explain, “I knew they would be different but…” He flushed, “They kissed while we were looking for robes.”

Ron shook his head in confusion, “Yeah, so?”

Harry ran nervous hands through his unruly hair, “I mean kissed. I thought he would chew her face off at one point.” Ron still looked none the wiser and Harry threw up his hands impatiently, “She was trying to persuade him to try on some robes and she started messing around with his neck and then all of a sudden he was practically pulling her hair out and there was all this weird energy and stuff.” His eyes flickered uncertainly, “It was like they were animals. He was just attacking her face and she was egging him on for more.”

Ron glanced at Connor and Dawn as they realized that they were alone and stood watching them from up the street, “Yeah? Blimey.”

Harry nodded, “They aren’t like us. I can’t imagine ever grabbing a girl they way he grabbed her and not getting slung in Azkaban for it.”

Ron’s widened respectfully as he looked at Connor, “Really?” His look turned inward and he said slowly, “Did she like it?”

Harry thought of Dawn staggering across the shop and her dazed expression as she sank into the chair, “Yeah, I think so.”

Ron’s expression grew thoughtful, “Yeah?” He formed a picture of a certain bushy haired acquaintance, “Make sure you get me the next time he does it, I’d better take a look for myself.”

Harry rubbed his scar worriedly, “Do you think I should mention it to Dumbledore?”

Ron gaped at the earnest look Harry wore for a moment and then reminded himself that for all intents and purposes, when it came to the real world, his friend was one of the most sheltered people he had ever met. He gave Harry a grin, “Nah, we’ll leave it for now, see how it goes.” He started to walk slowly up the street, “Just remember that they’re muggles and they’re bound to do some things differently.”

They’re getting a bit of a snog for a start. Unlike some wizards I could mention.

Harry looked slightly reassured, “So you don’t think I should worry?”

Ron shook his head, “No.”

I think if we don’t get a couple of birds this year we may as well jump from the roof of Hogwarts without our broomsticks, but I don’t think you should worry about the people that are actually getting laid. Bastards.

Ron gave Connor a slightly bitter grin as he drew level outside Ollivanders, “Alright?”

Connor nodded, “Yeah. Do you want a hand with those?” He reached for the bags hanging from Ron’s purple hand as Dawn wandered away from the three boys and into the wand shop behind them. His fingers had just closed on the string handles when he heard her scream ring out from the shop and he spun round to sprint through the door.

Harry and Ron burst through the doorway at Connor’s heels and stared in astonishment at the mound of writhing wood that Connor was hurling himself at in fury. Ron jumped forward, “What the blinking hell is going on?”

He grabbed a handful of the long wooden sticks and then realized that he was actually holding a handful of wands, he blinked and threw them behind him only to shout in surprise as they flew back to stick to the pile of wood that he now realized was the wands that normally rested peacefully on the shelves in the shop. Harry joined them, “Where’s Dawn?”

Connor ripped handfuls of wands away from the quivering pile, “Under here.” He cursed as the wands flew back to stick to their mates with sharp clicks, “Dawn! Dawn, can you hear me?”

A slightly muffed, “Yes!” came from somewhere under the wood and then there was a pause of a few moments before a slightly firmer, “And whatever happened this wasn’t my fault! I am so not to blame for this.”

Connor’s shoulders sagged slightly with the relief that she sounded unhurt and then whirled round as a dry, papery voice said behind him, “Then I would very much like to know whose fault it is.”

Ron and Harry turned, Harry guiltily thrusting a handful of wands behind his back as they met the unimpressed eyes of Mr Ollivander. The wands wriggled furiously in his hand and then slipped like eels through his fingers to stick lovingly back to the rest. Harry winced, “Hello, Mr. Ollivander.” He looked from the empty shelves to Connor standing with his crossbow out again and pointed at the aged shopkeeper and then finally to the huge pile of wands on the floor, “I can explain.”

Dawn’s disgruntled voice came from behind him, “Can we explain after we lose the matchsticks of love, please? Ow!” The pile of wands jumped slightly as though they had been goosed, Dawn continued wryly, “If I stay under here much longer there’s no way I’ll be able to wear white on my wedding day.”


	4. Chapter Four

“Well, this is interesting.” Albus Dumbledore rocked slightly on his heels and looked down at the shivering pile of wands on the floor, “My, my, yes. Very interesting indeed.”

Harry shuffled his feet nervously, he’d rather been hoping that the headmaster would have something more to say than ‘interesting’ when he had finally been tracked down and brought to Ollivanders. His eyes shifted to Connor who had managed to produce a small, heavy looking axe from somewhere about his person and was eyeing the wood holding his girlfriend hostage with a thoughtful look and a slight tick in his jaw.

There was another yelp from under the pile of wands and then Dawn’s voice said coldly, “Great. I’m happy that you seem to find this so fascinating. Meanwhile, I’m not getting any more wood free. A little help would be good.” She yelped again, “And just so you know, the little white wand with the gold trim that keeps trying to disappear up my ass is fire bound when I finally get out of here.”

Ron sniggered and then caught Mr Ollivander’s eye and abruptly sobered. He fixed his eyes on a dusty, empty shelf and put his hands behind his back, concentrating on looking as innocent as he knew how. Which, as he was a Weasley and brother to Fred and George and best friend to the infamous Harry Potter, wasn’t as innocent as it could have been.

Mr Ollivander shuffled forward, “Professor Dumbledore, I must insist, with all due respect, that you do something to alleviate this problem. I cannot understand what you were thinking of, letting such a volatile student wander around unsupervised in the first place.” He glared at the pile of wands on the floor, “And to actually allow a student to threaten harm to one of my wands is simply beyond the pale.”

Dumbledore nodded, “Of course, Mr Ollivander, I quite understand and I apologise profusely for any inconvenience and distress caused.” He paused and stroked a thoughtful hand over his beard, “However, I’m afraid that we simply did not see such a situation arising. This really is most unexpected.”

From under the wands Dawn sighed crossly, “Not helping!”

Connor moved and hefted his axe, “That’s it, get out of my way.”

Harry and Ron jumped forward, caught hold of Connor’s arms and were alarmed to find that he didn’t even seem to notice and dragged them along the floor in his wake. Dumbledore raised a hand and said calmly, “That won’t be necessary Mr Angel. I said the situation was unexpected, not impossible to deal with.”

Connor stopped two feet away from the wands and glared angrily at the white haired old man, “Get her out of there, right now, or we’ll all be going home with a lot of spare stakes tonight.” He raised the hand that held the axe and Harry swung forwards like the worlds largest novelty handbag, “I’m beginning to really lose my temper.”

Dumbledore nodded, “Understood. Miss Summers, can you hear me?”

Dawn scowled under the heap of wood, “I’m temporarily buried under some insane sticks, I’m not deaf!”

“Capital! I believe you may be able to help yourself rather more than anything we might attempt at the moment.”

Dawn winced as the little white wand tried to burrow lovingly down her pants again, “I think if I was in a position to do anything about the situation Professor, I’d have done it by now. Will you quit it!” She tried to shuffle her bottom forward as the wand disregarded her and managed to nose its tip under the elastic waist of her panties.

Connor growled and Dumbledore said hastily, “Miss Summers, I believe that the problem may lie in the residual mystical energy you are secreting without being aware of it. The wands in Ollivanders are dormant, waiting for their owners to come and claim them. As they have no bond formed with a witch or wizard as yet, they found themselves irresistibly drawn to yourself as a source of great magical power.”

Dawn held her breath as the wand edged under her panties and then lifted her butt quickly then lowered it to trap the wand between flesh and floor before it could investigate further. Her eyebrows shot up as it wriggled in ecstasy against her skin, “No kidding.” She scowled as another wand began to make its way up her pants leg, “So what do I do? These pants are only made for one, y’know.”

Connor’s eyebrows drew sharply together as Ron and Harry formed a mental picture of just what was happening under the wands. Ron grinned. Now that was an interesting image.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, “Quite. I believe you might find the problem resolves itself if you consciously try and draw your power away from the wands and try to lock it beyond their reach. I believe Mr Giles has worked with you on several different meditation techniques to allow you to open yourself to your power, perhaps if you used one of those but in reverse as it were?”

Dawn blinked thoughtfully and the jerked her head back as one enterprising wand tried to wiggle up her nose, “Ok, I’ll give it a go.” She shut her eyes and began to centre herself, “But if this doesn’t work then Connor better be ready with something sharp and choppy.”

Connor gripped his axe handle, “Just say the word, sweetie.”

Dawn allowed a small smile to flicker over her face and then made herself relax and try to ignore the wriggling bits of wood as they felt the tenseness leave her body and began to try and burrow closer. She felt mind leap gently into a warm abyss and float joyfully in the space it found there. Her hands uncurled as she opened herself up to the power that hummed along her skin and bathed herself in the glowing green energy. Slowly her breathing relaxed and she began to pull the energy towards her centre a piece at a time, visualising it washing backwards and forwards like an ocean against a beach. Instead of letting the energy flow from her in gentle waves as Giles had taught her she concentrated on the feeling of gathering it in and holding it as it washed through her body.

Harry nudged Connor as a wand fell to the floor, “I think its working.” The three boys watched silently as one by one the wands fell to the floor and lay dormant once more. Slowly pieces of Dawn came into view as more and more wands fell away, until finally she was left kneeling on the floor in a small pool of shaded wood.

Professor Dumbledore smiled, “Excellent.”

Dawn’s face creased slightly with concentration, “Wait.” The lines smoothed away again and then suddenly the wands rose into the air and began to resume their rightful places on the shelves.

When the last box lid had closed, Dawn’s eyes opened, “Ok?”

Connor stepped forward and scooped her off the floor, “Are you alright?”

Dawn laid her head on his shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze, “I’m fine. Sorry if I scared you.” She frowned, “Ow!” With one arm still round Connor’s waist she reached back and dug down the back of her pants. A moment later her hand emerged clutching a white, gold tipped wand, “I missed one.” She handed the warmed wood to Mr Ollivander, “You might want to give it a clean before you sell it.”

The shop owner received it with a look of distaste and held it between his fingertips like a dirty diaper, “I think under the circumstances you might consider it a gift.”

  
  


Dawn took it back with a grin and shoved it carelessly in her back pocket, “Cool!”

Mr Ollivander winced, “Young woman, that is a ten and half inches of pure ash wood, tipped with the gold donated by a leprechaun, with the hair of a pure bred siren running through it.”

Dawn cocked an eyebrow at the wizened figure, “Its also a lot more intimate with my butt than I allow on a first meeting and its damn lucky its not a smoking piece of charred wood.” She leaned against Connor’s chest, “Well, that was fun in the way of the type of fun that isn’t. Is stuff like this going to be happening a lot?”

Dumbledore shook his head jovially, “Oh I shouldn’t think so. Now we know of this particular problem we should be able to take steps to prevent it recurring.” He beamed happily, “All’s well that ends well, after all.” Clapping his hands together, Dumbledore turned to Mr Ollivander, “Well, now that you appear to have the situation under control I think I’ll get back to my meeting at the Ministry.” He waved to the four teenagers and walked out into Diagon Alley whilst Ollivander was still spluttering indignantly.

“Not big with the explanations is he?” Connor stepped behind Dawn and pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her like a giant comfort blanket.

Harry grinned, “Its one of his more endearing qualities.” He peered over his glasses and lowered his voice to a mystical whisper, “All things in the fullness of time, Harry. We must not try to understand today what will be revealed tomorrow.”

Dawn smiled wryly, “And I think I just pin-pointed why you guys have had so many problems with Mouldy Wart. You really need to get a jump on these whole mystical dark power things, otherwise before you know it, its twenty years later and some girl you’ve never met is getting up close and personal with a bunch of wood.”

Ron snorted, “Plus, Dumbledore’s a bit mad.” He shrugged as Dawn and Connor stared at him, “What? You must have noticed he’s round the twist? We are talking about a man who sent three eleven year old kids to defeat a dark lord of magic, after all.”

Dawn’s mouth dropped open, “He sent you to fight Volleyball?”

Harry shrugged, “Well, not actually gave us a big sword and kicked us out the door, but pretty much, yeah.”

Ron gave them a big grin, “S’alright, it builds character.” He glanced out the shop window, “We’d better get a move on, its getting late and I’m getting hungry.”

  
  


“Big surprise.” Harry grinned as Ron glared at his muttered comment and then nodded at Mr Ollivander, “I think we’re ready to fit Connor with his wand now.”

The small, wiry man glared at the four, “Are you quite sure? You wouldn’t like a few moments to plan another small piece of unadulterated mayhem before you leave?”

Connor shook his head, “No, we’re good, thanks.” He gave Dawn another light squeeze, “Maybe you should wait outside, sweetie.”

Dawn was already on the move as Ollivander began to walk towards Connor with a fierce scowl and a tape measure, “Already gone.” She snagged Ron’s arm, “We’ll meet you guys in that ice-cream parlour up the street.”

Connor grinned after her as she towed a thankful Ron towards sustenance and then jerked back in surprise as the tape measure the dusty old man was holding began measuring him up with no apparent help from its owner. Harry smothered a laugh at the slightly panicked expression on the other boy’s face and stepped forward, “Relax, its just magic.”

Connor’s eyebrow’s shot up as the tape measured his inside leg, “Oh that makes me feel better.”

* * *

  
  
  


Ron groaned with pleasure, as he tasted the first heavenly spoonful of chocolate and raspberry sundae, “Oh Merlin, thank you. If you weren’t already taken I’d have to marry you.”

Dawn grinned at him over her own mountainous sundae, “You do know that I just sprung for the ice cream, I didn’t actually make it?”

Ron rapturously licked his spoon, “I don’t care. One more second of shopping and I’d have handed myself over to Voldemort himself for the chance of a coke and a bag of crisps.”

Dawn looked round at a crash from behind her, and saw a young serving witch staring in horror at Ron. She looked from the mound of broken cutlery on the floor back to the pale witch, “What’s her deal?”

Ron glanced up and winced, “Damn it, I keep forgetting.” He raised his voice, “Sorry about that!” His pulled an apologetic face that was somewhat marred by another heaped spoonful of ice cream being shovelled in. Dawn waited while he swallowed and then leaned in as he said in a lowered voice, “Most of the wizarding world are afraid to speak Voldemort’s name out loud. If they have to talk about him then they call him he-who-must-not-be-named.”

Dawn took another bite of ice cream, “Yeah? But not you and Harry?”

Ron shrugged and flushed as a group of giggling young witches went past and pointed delightedly at him, “There’s only so many times you can defeat a dark, evil wizard and become afraid to say his name out loud.” He hunched his shoulders up round his ears and winced as a particularly forward young witch gave a piercing wolf whistle, “Oh Merlin.”

Dawn spluttered with laughter, “What’s the matter with you?”

Ron cast a hunted look over his shoulder, “Ever since all the fuss about us going after Hermione a few months ago we haven’t had a moments peace.” He shoved another bite of ice cream in his mouth; “It was funny at first, now it’s just…” He scowled darkly and licked his spoon, “Let’s just say I used to be a bit jealous of all the attention Harry used to get and now I’m not finding it as wicked as I thought I would.”

Dawn nodded sagely, “I here ya.” She flicked her hair back over her shoulders, “So, you had a pretty rough time getting your friend back?”

Ron nodded, his red hair blazing under the late summer afternoon sun, “You could say that. Bunking off school, vampires, werewolves, a smattering of giants and then fighting off Death Eaters and whatisname.” He frowned as he remembered, “Hermione nearly died and her parents were in a really bad way by the time we got them out.” His eyes glazed as he remembered the final panicked moments of the battle and the decision to illegally apparate them all out of Albania, “It was the toughest thing we’ve ever done and it wasn’t made any easier that we also had Aurors from the Ministry after us, trying to bring us in. At the end we had to do something that could have killed us all anyway, just to get away from Vold…well. You know.”

Dawn smiled, “Sounds like a blast. So.” She wiggled her eyebrows wickedly, “This Hermione sounds pretty special.”

Ron’s face lit up at the mention of his friend, “She is. Far too concerned with homework and lessons, but she’s absolutely brilliant.” He choked at Dawn’s smirk, “Not that way. We’re best friends. It’s not like you and Connor.”

Dawn patted his arm, “No one is like me and Connor.” Her expression flickered slightly, “To tell you the truth I’m a bit worried about that.” She cast a quick look over her shoulder to make sure there was no sign of the other two and then lowered her voice, “This is the first time that we’re actually going to be together without the imminent threat of demons and other nasties coming at us every five seconds, I’m not sure how we’re going to deal with that.”

Ron finished his ice cream, “How d’you mean?” He looked at Dawn’s half eaten ice, “Are you going to finish that?” Dawn pushed it across the table to him with a grin and he continued around a mouthful of slightly melted ice cream, “I thought you and Connor were pretty solid.”

Dawn rested her arms on the table and propped her chin on her hands, “We are. Its just we’ve never just spent time together with just us. We’ve always been about the fighting of the big nasty.” She began to twist a lock of deep brown hair around her fingers, “Even when we were sneaking out to meet each other we were meeting up to grab a bite to eat, take in a movie and then go behead some unspeakable fiends. Hell, the first time we met we ended up fighting for our lives all night and rescuing a bunch of civilians.” She fixed her newly green eyes on Ron, “I’m just worried that we can’t stand up to having a normal day to day relationship. Just going to classes and hanging out.” Her eyes shadowed with an old fear, “What if he stops noticing me or just forgets about me? I’ll be on my own again.”

Ron swallowed the last sticky mix of ice cream and strawberry sauce and eyed Dawn carefully. Up until now, he’d assumed that Dawn was the one in control of the relationship with Connor. He seemed to follow where she led without question and be content just to be in her company, but now a whole new perspective had been opened up before him. He had the feeling that Dawn had followed Connor’s lead on the exterminating of evil every minute of every day, simply because she was too scared to stand still for a moment and see if they could just be normal kids enjoying being with each other.

Ron wiped his mouth with a paper napkin and grinned at Dawn, “You’re pretty hard to forget, Summers.”

Dawn gave a small smile, “Thanks.” She sighed, “I love him. I love that he’s so solid and loyal. And funny. Did you know he was funny?”

Ron laughed, “Oh yeah, I found him hilarious when he pulled a crossbow on Hagrid in one of the best guarded banks in the world.”

Dawn grinned, “Made me laugh.” Her face sobered, “He’s just so uncomplicated and I’m worried that when he sees what else may be out there, all the stuff he’s missed out on, that he might just…move on.”

Ron stretched his arms out to the side with a sigh and tipped his head to the side as he said, “I don’t think you have to worry.” His arms came round to link at the back of his neck, “He’s nuts about you, anyone can see that. And its not just because you’re a bit of a knockout.” Dawn flushed a light pink, “He loves all of you. When we were back in Ollivanders he dragged Harry and me across the shop floor without even noticing we were there just to get to you. That’s not a bloke that’s going to forget about you the minute he claps eyes on another bit of skirt.”  
  


It was Ron’s turn to look worried another thought occurred to him, “That’s a bloke that’ll start chopping people’s arms and legs off if they look at you the wrong way.” He straightened, “Has it occurred to you that maybe he’s just as worried about sharing you with other people? He might not like it at all.” An image came to mind of Connor not liking sharing Dawn with other people and he was being not happy complete with a big axe and a very determined look in his eye. “Crumbs.”

Dawn looked startled, “No. Why would he worry about that? He knows how I feel about him.”

Ron winced, as his mental picture of Connor started swinging his axe with abandon, “All the same, wouldn’t do any harm to mention it.” Imaginary Connor produced a large sword and began swinging happily, “Fairly soon, ok?”

* * *

  
  
  


Harry and Connor wandered out of Ollivander’s shop and paused on the pavement, ignoring the thinning crowd of shoppers around them. Connor fisted his hands on his hips and scowled thoughtfully at the floor, “Huh.”

Harry swallowed nervously, “Are you ok?”

“How many wands do you think that old guy has in there?” Connor ignored Harry’s question and turned to glare back through the shop window, “Hundreds? Thousands?”

Privately Harry thought it was more likely to be tens of thousands, but something told him that pointing that out might not be the most prudent thing at the moment. “Probably.”

Connor’s scowl deepened, “And I couldn’t make one of them work?” He took a step back towards the shop doorway, “There’s been a mistake. I want to try again.”

Harry hastily grabbed his arm, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Although they both stood at about the same height of five eleven, Harry was very aware that the boy who’s arm was tense with frustration in his grip could quite easily throw him clear across the street if he wanted. He chose his words carefully. “Look, its not uncommon. Even in wizarding families, they sometimes have someone born that’s not magical.” He smiled reassuringly, “Just because you can’t make a wand work doesn’t mean you’re defective or anything.”

Connor’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline, “I know that! But if I can’t use magic then I can’t go to that stupid damn school with Dawn and there’s no way she’s going without me.”

“Oh.” Harry let go of Connor’s arm, “So you don’t care that you’re not a wizard? You’re just bothered about leaving Dawn?”

Connor rattled the now firmly locked shop door and pounded his fist against the wooden door frame, “Well, yeah.” He drew back his foot and kicked smartly on the base of the door, “What else would I care about? OPEN UP, OR I’LL KICK IT DOWN!”

Harry grabbed Connor’s arm and yanked him back, “Stop that! People are looking.” He pulled Connor up the street, “We’ll come back tomorrow. We still have a day to kill before school.” He hustled Connor up the street smiling weakly at the glaring faces around them, “For Merlin’s sake, just leave it!”

Connor scowled and allowed himself to be pulled along, “Fine. But first thing tomorrow we come back here and get that old guy to give me a wand that works. Or else.”

* * *

  
  
  


Ron pushed back from the table in the Leaky Cauldron with a sigh, “That was great.” The remains of a five-course meal lay on the wooden table before them; Dawn was privately convinced that Ron had eaten at least half of it himself. She groaned slightly as she sat back and rubbed her belly. Everything had been delicious but she was fairly sure that it wasn’t normal to be able to put away soup, cheesy potato skins, steak and jacket potatoes, strawberry cheesecake and cheese and biscuits and still be able to move. At least, not without splitting at the seams anyway.

Harry caught her eye and grinned, “We’ll soon have you fattened up.”

Dawn looked horrified, “You will not!” She scowled, “And who says I need fattening up?”

Connor slipped an arm round her waist and hoisted her onto his lap as he snagged the last piece of cheese from under Ron’s hand, “Not me. You feel just about right.” He rubbed his face against her shiny brown hair, “And you smell fantastic. What’s that you’re wearing?”

Dawn snuggled against his chest and smiled at Ron as he raised his eyebrows pointedly at her, “Just some shampoo that Willow gave me. She makes it herself, I don’t really know what’s in it.”

Connor looped an arm around her shoulders and tucked her firmly under his arm before stretching his legs out under the table with a happy sigh, “Well, you want to tell her whatever it is, it works.”

Harry grinned and glanced around the pub. Filled with mostly wizards and witches up from the country for a day, they were attracting attention but nothing overly uncomfortable. Tom the landlord had become used to having the famous Harry Potter and the newly famous Ron Weasley as his guests over the summer and had taken it upon himself to warn off any over enthusiastic admirers that bothered the two boys. Harry sighed happily and slowly allowed himself to relax and enjoy the company of his best friend and the two strange new ones he had picked up. He had found a moment to have a word with Professor Dumbledore and pass on the information that Connor was as muggle as they came and therefore magical instruction classes may be more of a challenge than they thought.

Dumbledore had listened gravely and then reassured Harry that it made no difference to the plans for Connor and Dawn’s safety. He had also taken Connor aside before dinner to explain that his magical inability had been anticipated by both himself and Giles and arrangements had been made to allow him to remain at Dawn’s side wherever possible. And then he had asked politely that Connor refrained from re-visiting Mr Ollivander’s shop in the morning and kicking in the door as threatened.

Ron sipped at a frothy pint of butterbeer and allowed his eyes to drift half closed as he listened to the casual conversation from the other three. Unwittingly his thoughts began to drift to Hermione, as they did so often these days, and he smiled as a picture of his friend formed in his mind. Of medium height, with her slight over bite and mass of wavy brown hair, she stood before his eyes smiling happily at him wearing understated robes in a soft rose pink that picked up the equally delicate flush on her cheeks. He allowed his gaze to drift down her body, grinning in appreciation as he lingered over her breasts that pushed against the soft material and the turn of her shapely ankles as they peeked put from under her robes.

He shifted slightly in his seat as his jeans began to tighten and allowed his eyes to skim back up her body to her face…which for some reason was flushed and now sporting an angry glare rather than the winsome smile that had previously adorned it. Ron frowned…that wasn’t how it was supposed to go at all.

He’d had this fantasy many times since the now infamous rescue of Hermione and her parents and she was meant to start peeling the robes seductively off her shoulders and stand coyly before him in silk ivory lingerie, trembling like a nervous fawn. He felt a sudden niggle of worry…and weren’t the usual fantasy robes a good deal shorter and made of a gauzy blue material?

“SHIT!” Ron sat bolt upright and sent his butterbeer flying as he realised he had been checking out a very real flesh and blood Hermione. Harry spun round as Dawn and Connor jumped up and Dawn flung herself across the table to tackle Hermione to the floor and press a wooden stake against her chest.

“NO!” Ron flung himself across the table at Dawn and landed on his knees beside the winded Hermione, “Will you stop bloody doing that?!” He tugged her arm away and leant protectively over the gasping girl on the floor, “This is Hermoine! Get off!” He shoved at Dawn’s shoulder, sending her sprawling on the floor with an angry squawk, and looked down into a now almost purple face. “Hermione! Are you alright? Hermione?”

Hermione gasped for air as Ron pulled her off the floor and smothered her face against his chest as he patted her back frantically. She batted at his shoulder indignantly and finally managed to get some air into her poor abused lungs, “Ronald Weasley, what the HELL is going on?” She managed to turn her head to glare at Dawn as Connor pulled her up from the floor, “And who the bloody hell is that?”

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Hermione turned as a soft knock sounded at her door, “Come in.” She gave a cool smile as Dawn Summers poked a sheepish head into the room, “Oh. Hello.”

Dawn winced and edged into the room, shutting the door behind her. “Um, hi.”

She twisted her hands nervously before her, “Look, I’m really sorry about earlier.

I guess I’m still a little jumpy about everything.”

Hermione sniffed, “I see.” She turned back to her open trunk and began to sort through the things she would need to get ready for bed, “Do you normally try to stab people with bits of wood when you first meet them?”

Dawn gave a slightly uneasy laugh, “Actually, yeah. It saves time later.” She shrugged uncomfortably as Hermione turned with raised eyebrows, “I come from a kind of rough area.” She flushed under the cold look Hermione gave her, “Anyway, I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I’ll leave you to get ready for bed. Sorry.”

Hermione watched as the girl began to turn towards the door and then her natural good nature came to the fore, “Wait.” Dawn paused and looked back over her shoulder, “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude.” Her shoulders slumped, “Well…actually I do. I’m sorry, its not you I’m angry with. Could we perhaps start again?”

Dawn gave a wide grin, “Sure.” She walked forward and extended her hand, “Dawn Summers, pleased to meetcha.” She shook Hermione’s hand firmly, “And not a bit of wood in sight, see?” She held up her hands on either side of her head and smirked, “Who says I can’t learn from my mistakes?”

Hermione’s expression thawed slightly, “Hermione Granger. Its nice to meet you too.” She waved a hand towards the bed, “Would you like to sit down?” She stood awkwardly in the middle of the room as Dawn sat on the edge of the bed and glanced around her, “I’m afraid I don’t have any drinks to offer you.”

Dawn waved an expansive hand, “Don’t sweat it. I drank enough of that butterbeer stuff to float a ship. I drink anymore and there’s a good chance I’ll wake up swimming.”

Hermione giggled and perched on the bed beside Dawn. An awkward silence fell as they both stared at the floor waiting for the other to speak. The silence stretched out and then they both opened their mouths at the same time…

“You really stab people as soon as you meet them?”

“So who are you angry with?”

Their eyes met and then they both laughed, Dawn leaned back on her elbows and said wryly, “Well, I’d say this bonding session is going really well.” She rolled her eyes, “I’m not that great with the ‘getting to know you’ thing.”

Hermione pulled herself further up on the bed and crossed her legs, “Me either. It took me nearly a whole term to make the two friends that I have.” She sighed wearily, “People don’t tend to understand me that well.”

Dawn gave her a warm smile, “Me either. Back home all I have are two friends that are as socially untouchable as me and my family.” She swallowed a sudden lump in her throat at the thought of Buffy and the others and continued brightly, “And they’re even weirder than I am.”

Hermione frowned, “And your boyfriend. The one downstairs. Connell.”

Dawn laughed, “Connor. And I don’t really know him that well.” Her eyes clouded slightly, “Up till now we tend to kill things together and make out when we’re done. I’m beginning to have a bit of a jelly-belly about it.”

Hermione leaned back slightly and said uncertainly, “Oh.” She glanced around the room looking for inspiration and finally settled for a cheery, “That sounds nice!”

Dawn choked back a laugh, “Don’t worry, I’m nowhere near as homicidal as I sound. We’re demon hunters.” Hermione failed to look reassured and Dawn sighed, “Ok, this may take a while.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


Ron, Harry and Connor sat in the bar of the Leaky Cauldron, hunched over fresh pints of muggle lager and scowled into their tankards. Every so often one of them would glance towards the ceiling with a worried look and then look despondently back into their drinks. Tom, once he’d got over the shock of someone nearly being staked on his pub floor, had restored calm admirably fast and had taken the unusual step of serving muggle alcohol in a doomed effort to cheer the boys up. After the first couple of points he’d realised he was on a hiding to nothing and now just kept the drinks flowing thick and fast to the three morose boys in the corner.

Harry glanced up at Ron, “How do you think its going?”

Ron looked up at his best friend and shrugged, still wallowing in mortified horror that he couldn’t tell ‘real’ Hermione from ‘ready, willing and able’ Hermione, “Dunno. You know what she’s like when she’s got a bee in her bonnet.” He narrowed his eyes at Connor, “You two really need to stop attacking everyone we know.”

Connor raised his eyes unhappily, “How were we to know she wasn’t a threat? You looked terrified.”

Harry nodded, “Yeah, he’s right, mate. What was that about?”

Ron flushed, “Nothing. She just surprised me that’s all.” He directed a dark look at both unconvinced faces, “Just bloody drop it alright?”

Harry and Connor exchanged looks and then went back to staring into their pints. Harry sighed, “They’re bound to hate each other now. Hermione hates anyone getting the best of her.”

Connor nodded, “Dawn hates admitting that she’s wrong.” He chugged back his drink and then waved to Tom, “Let’s have another drink and then go up and calm things down. Maybe they’ll have got it out of their system by the time we get up there.” He nodded his thanks as Tom whisked his empty mug away and replaced it with a fresh drink, “Don’t worry though, Dawn wouldn’t hurt a human too badly.”

  
  
  


Harry hunched his shoulders up around his ears and thought of all the curses Hermione had learned over the years. He had a nasty feeling that Dawn wasn’t the only one they had to worry about. He snatched at his own drink and sucked desperately at the bitter drink inside. Bloody hell, he had a really bad feeling about this.

* * *

  
  
  


Dawn screwed up her nose and squealed with helpless laughter, “Ewww! Slugs? Real ones?”

Hermione nodded and broke into fresh giggles, “Yep. It was disgusting. Poor Ron, he was only trying to stick up for me.” She shoved her hair back from her face and wrinkled her own nose as she remembered; “He was throwing them up for hours.”

Dawn hooted with laughter, “Oh, that’s gross.” She propped herself up on her elbows, “So, are we cool now?” Her head tipped to one side and she grinned at Hermione’s flushed face, “No burning desire to hex my ass into the middle of next week?”

Hermione shook her head, “Strangely enough, no.” She plumped a pillow behind her head, shrugging before she laid back, “Must be something to do with the all powerful being thing.”

Dawn nodded and let her head full back onto the bed, propping her feet comfortably against the wall, “I get that a lot. Not!” Her head turned to face Hermione, lying at the top of the bed, “So, now we’re all kinds of good, can I ask you a personal question?”

Hermione looked at her warily, “What is it?”

Dawn smiled reassuringly, “Well, actually it’s two, but one of them will keep. You said you weren’t angry with me about the whole accidental staking thing. Who were you angry with?”

Hermione sighed, “I don’t think you’d understand.”

Dawn rolled over onto her side, “Try me.”

Hermione glared up at the ceiling and then sat up abruptly, “Me. I was angry with me. And Ron.” She made a fist and thumped it down on the bed, “And bloody, sodding Voldemort.” He eyes closed and she said with a desperate weariness, “I am so tired of Ron and Harry saving me all the time.”

Dawn raised her eyebrows, “I kinda got the feeling that if they hadn’t come after you, you and your folks would be dead now.”

Hermione nodded and opened her eyes, “I sound so ungrateful don’t I? They risked everything coming after me the way they did, but…oh, sometimes I wish they hadn’t.”

Dawn grinned, “Ungrateful, no. Slightly insane, yes.” She scooched round until she could sit up and cross her legs to face Hermione, “You do get that you’d be dead, right? As in not of the living?”

Hermione allowed the ghost of a smile to flit across her face, “I know.” She sighed, “But they just seem to think I need them to fight all my battles. Its like I’m only good for finding the right spell or piece of information and then I should leave all the rough stuff to them.” Her face screwed into a petulant scowl, “It’s getting really irritating.”

Dawn laid a hand on Hermione’s arm, “First, I totally get where you’re coming from. I wasn’t always encouraged to be the way I am now. I had to fight for it and make people see the real me. Second, everyone needs rescuing once in a while; remind me to tell you about my sister getting her superhero ass captured sometime. Thirdly, I had you down cold. There was nothing you could have done to protect yourself.”

Hermione snorted, “That’s all you know. I had my wand in my pocket and you were about to find out what it feels like to be a rat.”

Dawn’s mouth fell open and then she tipped her head back and let rip with a belly laugh, “Really?” She laughed again at Hermione’s nod, “Go you! Girlpower!”

Hermione looked pleased and then her face fell again, “They’re never going to see me as anything but the brainy sidekick.” She propped her chin up on one hand and said gloomily, “I bet they don’t look at you that way.”

Dawn snorted, “Hell, no. They think I’m insano weapons chick, remember?” She grinned at Hermione mischievously, “I’ll make you a deal. I’m gonna need some serious help getting up to speed with the whole ‘good witch of the north’ thing, you give me some pointers and I’ll let you train with me.” She studied Hermione, “You look like you’re pretty fit and from what you just said, you’ve got pretty good reflexes. I’ll teach you to handle yourself physically and you teach me how to be a bad ass witch.” She stuck out her hand, “What do you think? Partners?”

Hermione looked at the outstretched hand and then up at the young American, “Really? Are you sure?”

Dawn nodded firmly, “Absolutely. Besides, us social rejects gotta stick together, right?”

Hermione laughed, “Absolutely. Ok, partners.” She shook Dawn’s hand, “This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

Dawn gripped the other girl’s hand and said with feeling, “God, I hope so. I don’t think I can get through the next few months with just three boys to talk to.” She released Hermione’s hand and waggled her eyebrows, “No matter how cute they are. Which brings me to my other question.” She slanted a curious look at Hermione, “What’s the deal with you and Ron? You guys are hot for each other, right?”

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Connor’s head poked slightly unsteadily around the top of the stairs, “I can’t hear any screaming.”

Ron moaned, “Bloody hell, they’ve only gone and killed each other.” His head sunk back against the wall as the stairwell swum due to the influence of several more lagers than was prudent.

Connor sniffed the air, weaving slightly on his perch at the top of the stairs, “Nope. Can’t smell any blood.”

Harry wobbled uncertainly and grabbed Ron’s robes to steady himself before he toppled back down the steps and proved to the wizarding world not only was he the boy-who-lived he was also the boy-who-was-an-incredibly-cheap-drunk. “Don’t even joke about that!” He stifled a belch and tried to focus through his smudged glasses, “Maybe they’ve hexed each other unconscious.”

Ron shook his head, “Nah, Dawn doesn’t know any spells yet.”

Connor edged forward slowly, “Dawn was looking through some of those books you picked up before dinner. I think she’s a pretty quick study.”

Ron followed Connor slowly and heaved an unsteady Harry up behind him, “Oh brilliant. That’s all we need.”

They weaved carefully down the dimly lit corridor, bouncing off the walls and shushing each other loudly. Finally they stopped outside Hermione’s room and Connor pressed his ear against the wood, “I don’t hear anything.”

Ron nodded in resignation, “They’ve killed each other.” He looked faintly outraged, “And after all the trouble we went too to bloody save that girl as well.” He glared at Harry, “That’s gratitude for you!”

Harry put his ear against the door and listened hard, grateful for the chance to lean his body up against something and try and stop the world spinning, “They might be asleep.” Connor put his ear back against the door and Ron tried to lean over the other two to see if he could hear anything through the ancient wood.

Which was of course the moment that Dawn chose to wrench back the door and allow them all to tumble to the floor in a tangle of drunken limbs in the very best tradition of the Three Stooges.

Hermione gasped in surprise as Dawn said triumphantly, “I told you I heard something.” She poked Connor with her foot, “What do you think you’re doing?”

Connor raised his head and beamed happily at her, “You’re not dead!” He poked Harry in the ribs, “I told you I couldn’t smell any blood.”

Hermione walked over to stand by the slightly nonplussed Dawn and eyed Ron and Harry as they staggered to their feet. She leaned forward and sniffed their breath and then gave an angry exclamation, “Are you drunk?”

Ron pulled himself up to his full height and looked haughtily down his nose, the effect only slightly marred when he lost his balance and staggered against the wall, “Absolutely not.” He gave Hermione a conspiratorial wink, “But I think the other two might be.”

Harry groaned as cold sweat broke out on his forehead, “I think I’m going to be sick.” And he was.


	5. Chapter Five

Dawn sat on the edge of her bed in the Leaky Cauldron and stared sadly at the stake in her hand. It was made of polished wood, more finely carved than the usual weapons in the Scoobs arsenal, and near the thickest end a small caricature of Spike, complete with fangs and bumpy forehead grinned out at her. Along the length of the wood were the words ‘SCOOBS RULE!’ as carved by Xander in a quiet moment at work. She traced the line of the letters and her eyes misted as she thought of her sister and the rest of her family. Buffy should just be finishing up at high school for the day and heading home to Spike, nervously anticipating another badly cooked meal at the hands of the ever optimistic vampire. Willow would be just heading into her last class of the day before running home to grab a quick snack and then heading out with Buffy and Spike to Giles’ house to meet up with Anya and Xander.

A lone tear slipped down her cheek as she pictured everyone sitting round, researching the latest threat to Sunnydale’s populace or merely having a casual chat as they drank sodas and tea and waited for the vampires and demons to hit the street. Spike and Xander would be driving Giles crazy, flicking through his books and leaving them lying all over the apartment. Willow would be surfing the net, or possibly discussing capitalist government strategies and their advantages with the money-hungry Anya. Buffy and Giles would be going over new training strategies or sharpening blades whilst running herd on the others and making sure everyone was properly equipped before they all headed out and seriously ruined evil’s night.

Dawn sniffed as a tear trickled down the side of her nose. Although it had been less than forty-eight hours since she had seen Buffy and the others, there was an unbearable ache in her chest, made worse by the knowledge that in ten minutes she would be going out the door and catching the train to her new school. The last two days had been fun but now the seriousness of the situation had come home with a bang. She cupped her hands around the stake as the tears began to flow thick and fast, who knew how long it might be before she was back home and on familiar ground? All of a sudden the thought of uninterrupted smoochies with Connor for the next few months weren’t enough to keep loneliness and homesickness at bay.

She jumped as a sharp knock came at the door, and then stood up and wiped a swift hand over her face. She slipped the stake into the leather carrier she wore under her jacket and bent over her newly purchased trunk, “Come in.”

Hermione stuck her head round the door, “Morning Dawn. Are you nearly packed? The cars will be here soon.”

Dawn pushed down the sleeve of a robe and closed the lid of her trunk, “Uh-huh.” She sniffed again as her nose continued to run, “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Hermione frowned, “Alright.” She began to withdraw and then said uncomfortably, “Are you ok?”

Dawn nodded at the genuine concern in the other girl’s voice and cursed silently as the tears welled up again, “Yeah, sure. I’m just coming.”

Hermione watched as the Dawn’s slim shoulders began to quiver and her face flooded with understanding, “Oh! Hang on, I’ll be right back.” The door closed with a crash as she darted away leaving Dawn to try and repair her light make-up and cover up the traces of her tears on her flushed face.

She jumped as a light tap came on the door and Hermione burst in without waiting for an answer. The English girl was carrying what seemed to be a large cage, covered with a deep red velvet cloth. Hermione held it out to her new friend, “Here. It was meant to be a surprise on the train, but you look like you need it now.”

Dawn took looped her fingers through the metal ring at the top of the cage and placed it gently on the bedside table. She lifted the cover slowly and then her mouth dropped open as a small, silvery grey owl blinked sleepily at her and gave a gentle admonishing hoot for waking him up. “Oh!” Dawn stretched out a finger and stroked along the owl’s wing as he stretched on his wooden perch, “An owl!” She glanced up at Hermione as the owl sidled across the wooden bar and began to nibble at the peach nail polish adorning her nails, “He’s lovely, but I don’t understand. I don’t think I should keep him as a pet, it’s not fair to keep him in a cage.” The owl hooted and bobbed his head up and down as though agreeing with her.

Hermione shook her head; “He’ll only stay in the cage until we get to school. He’s for carrying letters and stuff to your family, and for them to write to you.” She clicked her tongue at the bird and grinned as the owl hooted back agreeably, “The wizarding world doesn’t have a conventional mail service, we use owl post. Whenever you want to write to your sister just tie the letter to his leg and he’ll take it straight to her.” She patted Dawn’s shoulder awkwardly, “You looked like you needed a lifeline.”

Dawn couldn’t help the tear that leaked from the corner of her eye and she gave a shamed sniffle, “I’m sorry.” She turned away from Hermione and scrubbed irritably at her face, “I don’t know what’s with me. I’ve spent all my life bitching about Buffy and now I feel like there’s a huge, gaping Buffy-shaped hole where my heart should be.” She pressed a hand against her chest, “God, it hurts.”

Hermione looked helplessly at the tearful girl, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say.”

Dawn gave a watery giggle, “Not a lot to say, I guess.” She wiped her face again and squared her shoulders, “Well, I’ve faced vamps, hell-gods and Spike when I got caught out after curfew. How bad can a new school be?”

Hermione’s eyes flickered for a moment as she thought of Snape, Malfoy, most of Slytherin house and the uncertainty of what you were actually eating if you went to tea at Hagrid’s, “Oh dear.”

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


Connor looked at the small ball of fluff, sleeping on its perch. “What is it?”

Harry and Ron exchanged looks and then joined Connor in peering at the golden owl in the cage, “It’s an owl. It’s for you.”

Connor looked at Ron as he tailed off uncertainly and then back the fluffy bird, “I’ve heard of them. They’re great hunters, right?” He looked at the cage suspiciously, “Why do I need a hunting bird? What do I need to kill?”

Harry sighed, “You don’t kill anything with it. Seriously Connor, you need to hold off on the ‘die, die’ mentality for a while, it’s getting out of hand.”

Connor curled his lip, “Just as well. If I wanted to kill anything with this I’d have to ram it down their throats and choke them to death.” The three boys looked at the harmless looking bundle of fluff again as Connor continued, “So what is it for?”

Ron straightened and glanced towards the stairs to see if the girls were on their way down as he said, “It’s for writing to your family. We don’t have a mail service at Hogwarts, we use owls.”

Connor looked even more confused, “Why do I want to write to my family?”

Harry looked nonplussed, “To let them know you’re alright I s’pose. See if they’re alright.”

Connor cocked an eyebrow and asked curiously, “Do you write to your family?” He frowned, “Dawn said she’d write to Buffy and Spike, she can tell them I’m ok and they’ll tell my dad.”

Harry flushed as he thought of the Dursleys and the unlikelihood of him ever writing to them of his own free will, much less just to swap details of his daily life, “Well, no, I don’t personally, but Ron writes to his all the time.” He fixed Connor with an earnest expression, “It might make you feel more at home if you were in regular contact with your mum and dad. Less…lonely.”

Connor caught the edge of some indefinable emotion in Harry’s voice and glanced quickly at Ron to see a look of deep sympathy flash over the other boy’s face before he realised he was being studied by the American. Connor shifted uneasily, “We don’t really have that kind of relationship.” He shrugged, “Besides Dawn will be there. She’s all I need.”

Harry slanted a look at Ron and said weakly, “Right.” He gave Connor a faint smile, “But just in case, why don’t you keep the owl? You never know, eh? Think of it as a welcome to England gift.”

Connor darted another look at the sleeping bird and then at the two boys, “I have nothing to give you in return.” His face brightened slightly, “Unless you want some weapons? I have a lot of those.”

Ron turned in relief as he heard the sound of Hermione and Dawn coming down the stairs, “Er, no, that’s ok mate. Thanks all the same.” He gave Hermione a wide smile as she stepped into the bar, “Ready?”

“Absolutely.” Hermione smiled casually at Ron as he held out her muggle denim jacket, “We just need to bring down Dawn’s trunk.”

Connor nodded, “I’ll get it.” He dropped a quick kiss on Dawn’s head and caught the faint aroma of salt, “Are you ok?” He put a gentle hand under her chin and tilted her face up to his, “Have you been crying?”

Dawn looked into his concerned eyes and smiled, “No, of course not.” She patted his wrist and stepped away, “I used a new facial scrub.”

Connor frowned and looked at Hermione, who quickly turned her back and busied herself straightening her collar in the mirror. He looked back at Dawn who flushed guiltily under his thoughtful look, something was obviously wrong but if Dawn didn’t want to tell him then…”Ok. I’ll go get your trunk.”

Dawn watched him take the stairs three at a time, torn between relief that he had let it go so easily, and irrational irritation that he hadn’t pushed her to fess up. He was meant to love her, dammit, didn’t he care that she was obviously not happy about something? She looked up at a hand on her shoulder, “Alright Dawn?”

Harry’s green eyes smiled down at her. “Yeah, I’m fine. Are we good to go?”

Harry nodded, “Yes. The cars from the Ministry are outside and the wizard escort are waiting.” He nodded towards Connor’s owl, “We just have to load your stuff and that in the cars and we’re ready.”

Dawn squinted and then moved over to the table and peer in at the tiny owl still comfortably asleep on the wooden perch, “Is this Connor’s?” She clicked her tongue gently, “Hey, there little fella. Hey.” The owl gave a tiny snore and completely ignored her, Dawn grinned, “Well, aren’t you the laid back little guy.” She turned as Connor appeared at the bottom of the stairs with her trunk balanced on one shoulder and carrying her own owl cage in his other hand, “Looks like you got yourself a pet.”

Connor smiled warily, “Yeah.” He looked down at the little grey owl that seemed to be glaring angrily at him, “Yours bit me.” He raised the little bird to eye level and eyeballed it, “If I didn’t know any better I’d think Spike sent it to cover for him.” The owl screeched and flapped its wings furiously as Connor let his hand fall back to his side quickly, sending the cage’s occupant stumbling along its perch, “Oh well. I can always use them for target practice.”

Dawn laughed as Ron hastily relieved Connor of the bird and passed it to Hermione, “We’d better go.” The head boy glowered at Connor, “Try not to kill anything unless you absolutely have to.”

Connor swung the trunk effortlessly off his shoulder and onto the floor, “Right. Can you two get that? I want to talk to Dawn.” He crossed the room and clamped a hand on Dawn’s arm as she started to protest and said firmly, “It’ll only take a minute.”

Hermione raised her eyebrows inquiringly at Dawn and, after a slight pause, Dawn nodded. Hermione swung into action, “Right, you two grab the trunk and I’ll carry the owls out to the cars.” She glared at Ron and Harry until they moved to the trunk and heaved it up between the two of them with difficulty, “We’ll see you outside. Don’t be too long.”

Connor waited until they were alone and the door had shut out the sounds of the London street before he let go of Dawn’s arm and planted himself squarely in front of her. “What’s wrong?” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked calmly down into her uneasy eyes, “And don’t try and tell me everything’s fine because I know you. I can see you’re upset.”

Dawn shook her head, “Connor, really, everything’s okaaaaaaaay…..” She yelled in surprise as Connor scowled and lifted her off her feet to plonk her firmly down on the table behind her.

He leaned in and placed his hands on either side of her thighs, “Don’t treat me like an idiot. We aren’t going anywhere until we get this sorted out, you’ve been acting weird for the last couple of days and I want to know what’s up.”

Dawn crossed her own arms and sneered furiously, “Oh yeah, ‘cos you were just so approachable yesterday with the hangover from hell.”

Connor coloured with embarrassment, “That’s not the point.”

Dawn snorted and pushed at his annoyingly immobile chest, “You’re right, totally not the point that you had your head down the pan for the best part of the morning, whimpering like a little girl.”

Connor growled menacingly, “I was not whimpering!” His brows drew together threateningly, “And I wasn’t hung over. I was ill.”

Dawn snorted again, trying to wriggle out from under his arms, “Yeah, right. Will you stop looming all over me?”

Connor locked his elbows and leaned in until he was practically nose-to-nose with his obstinate girlfriend, “No, I won’t.” He sighed, his breath fanning gently over cheek, “Dawn, please, talk to me.”

Dawn’s eyes closed as the warmth of his breath and body enveloped her. She shook her head, “There’s nothing.” She shut her mouth as her breath hitched and Connor muttered something rude under his breath. He slipped his arms round her and pressed her head to his shoulder and she felt the tears begin to start again, “Don’t. I’m fi..fi..fine.”

Connor gathered her closer and replied wryly, “Obviously.” He pressed a kiss to her shining hair, “I know that I’m not good at the emotional stuff, but you know you can tell me things, right? I mean, I might not understand but I’ll always listen and be here for you.” His eyes widened as Dawn burst into noisy sobs against him, “Or not.” He squeezed her tightly and rocked in panic, “Are you hurt? Have I done something?”

Dawn tried to get her breath, “N…n…no.” She pressed her slightly sticky face into his neck, “I d…don’t wa…wa…want to l…lo…lose you!” Her voice rose in a terrified wail and she flung her arms around his waist to grip desperately at him.

Connor, now seriously out of his depth, stared in mystified bemusement at the wall over her shoulder, “Am I going somewhere?” He tried to turn his head to catch a glimpse of Dawn’s face still pressed tightly against the curve of his neck, “I’m coming with you, we’re going to be together all the time.” He winced as his words had the opposite effect to the one he intended and Dawn began to sob louder. “And that’s a good thing.” He paused uncertainly, “Right?”

Dawn nodded frantically and Connor relaxed a little, “Ok. So we’re going to be together and that’s good, but you’re still afraid you’re going to lose me?” Dawn nodded again and Connor promptly lost the ground he had gained, “O-kaay.” He rolled his eyes and picked her up to turn and sit himself down on the table and settle Dawn comfortably on his lap. He rocked her backwards and forwards and waited for her sobs to ease. Finally she grew quiet, aside from the odd wet hiccup, and he stroked the hair from her damp face, “I love you.” He flinched as another sob started, “Don’t start crying again!”

Dawn couldn’t help the giggle that escaped at his panicked order, “I won’t. I’m sorry.” She tried to scramble off his lap, “We’d better go.”

Connor rolled his eyes, “I don’t think so.” He put a firm hand against her face and made her look at him, “I want to know what’s going on.” He kissed the tip of her red nose, “Now.”

Dawn focused on his left ear and shrugged uncomfortably, “No…” She jumped as he gave a warning growl and then her shoulders sagged, “I just…I miss home, that’s all.”

Connor tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “And you thought I wouldn’t understand?” He skimmed his knuckles down her cheek, “Why would you be ashamed to tell me that?”

Dawn stared in shame at the floor, “I don’t want you to think I’m not dealing.” She sighed, “You’re always so together and stuff and I just feel so…stupid.”

Connor stayed silent for a moment and then sighed, “You think I don’t get scared?”

Dawn shrugged, “Not that I’ve noticed.” She began to twist her fingers together nervously, “You just take everything in your stride and you don’t seem bothered about leaving Angel and Cordy at all.”

Connor shrugged, “I’m not.” He looked down at Dawn’s shocked gasp, “What? I’m not going to lie to you. I love my mom and dad a lot, but the best thing I can do for them is to be here. With you.” He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, “I haven’t had the life you’ve had. Hell-dimension, tried to off my dad, streets of LA and then trying to fit in a family that doesn’t know what to make of me. Not a lot to miss.” He shifted her more comfortably onto his lap, “Then I meet you. Brave, funny, hell on wheels with a stake and an axe…” He kissed her open mouth, “And I fit.” His eyes crinkled, “Of course, you can’t drive worth a damn and you’re a little scary first thing in the morning, but everyone has flaws, right? You’re what I love, the only person I can’t be without.”

Dawn choked, caught between a giggle and a strangled sob, “Hey!”

Connor raised a hand to run his fingers through her hair, “The only time in my life I’ve ever been truly scared is when I thought you’d left me in that basement. And I grew up in a hell dimension, so I know from scary.” He shrugged, “The way I see it, my life’s pretty ok if you’re in it. Everything else will work out.”

Dawn’s face fell, “But what if that won’t be enough? What if you spend all this time with me and you decide I’m not enough? I don’t know if we can be normal together.”

Connor snorted, “Honey, I thought we covered this when we first met, normality isn’t an option for us.” He grinned, “I don’t love you just because you can decapitate demons nearly as fast as I can. I love you because you make me laugh, you’re gentle and kind and you don’t quit. Ever.” He twisted his head so he could peer in her eyes, “You’re my only real friend, Dawn, and I know enough to realise that’s something that you don’t take for granted.”

Connor stood and lowered Dawn to the floor until she stood facing him. His forehead lowered to touch hers, “The moment I first saw you, when you told me that demon was a mutated bear, I knew that you were what I came looking for when I opened that portal from Quor’toth.” He cupped a hand against her cheek, “I came looking for you across dimensions and it wouldn’t have mattered if I’d found you working the graveyard shift at a burger bar and unable to fight your way out of a paper bag, I would have recognised you as mine.” He smiled at her with his heart in his eyes, “You could never bore me or disappoint me because you’re Dawn, and I love you.” His smile widened, “I’ll love you till the day we die because there is no one else in all the dimensions that can make my soul sing like you.”

Dawn swallowed, “Oh Connor.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him, “I love you.”

Connor’s grin grew smug, “I know.” He wrapped his arms around her tightly,

“And how great does that make me? Someone like you loves someone like me.” He patted her butt, “And that’s what going to save every boy that looks at you twice from a painful and bloody death.” He grinned as she gasped and jerked back, “What? You don’t think I’ve been thinking about all the competition I’m going to be facing?” He leered at her, “You may not have noticed but you’re pretty hot. And I’m not exactly Mr Congeniality.”

Dawn laughed, “Where the hell did you get that from?”

Connor swiped at the tracks of her tears, eyes brimming with mirth, “Cordelia, who else?” He cocked his head to the side, “My point is, that there’s a lot of new stuff coming to worry about and you could just have easily taken one look at all those new kids in their hot, swirly dresses and decided that you wanted rid of the guy with no social skills and a mean line in stacking up the dead bodies. Particularly as I can’t even conjure a rabbit out of a hat.” He grinned confidently at her, “But you won’t because I’m yours and you’re mine and there’s no one else that can be that for either of us. Pretty cool, huh?”

Dawn smiled radiantly, “Yeah. Pretty cool.”

Connor beamed at her and kissed her firmly, “And whenever you feel like you want someone to lean on you can come to me. Missing your family doesn’t make you weak, it makes you strong and it gives us something to fight for.”

Dawn sighed, “You never stop surprising me.” She tilted her head, “You really don’t think I’m being a wimp?”

Connor kept a firm arm around her shoulders as he led her to the door, “What are you kidding me? I’ve seen you face down the worst the underworld has to offer, and Spike, with nothing more than a smile and mean left hook. Believe me honey, the word ‘wimp’ has never even entered my mind.” He ushered her out into the street, “The word ‘hot’ features regularly though.”

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


“It’s a wall.” Dawn looked at the wall and then at an anxious Harry and Ron, “It’s a brick wall.” She folded her arms firmly, “I am not running through a solid brick wall.”

Ron danced from foot to foot acutely aware of the speculative looks they were getting from the muggles streaming round them. Between them they had four owls, one large ginger cat, five trunks and two huge knapsacks bursting at the seams with weaponry. Inconspicuous they weren’t. “It’s not solid. It just hides the Hogwarts train from the rest of the station. Just run at it!”

Connor and Dawn exchanged looks and then looked back at the wall. “It looks solid.” Connor reached out and slapped a hand against the brickwork, “It feels solid.” He glared at Harry, “It is solid.”

Harry shook his head and looked uneasily around him. The bodyguards supplied by the Ministry were standing about fifteen feet away, twitching at every unexpected movement from the muggles around them, and he was fairly certain that pretty soon one of them would snap and then goodbye King’s Cross, hello smoking pit of panicked charms. He stepped closer to Connor and lowered his voice, “Its just bespelled to keep muggles out. Please, just trust me!”

Dawn blinked worriedly, “But Connor is a muggle!” She slipped her hand into Connor’s, “If it’s spelled to keep muggles out, how is he going to get in?”

Harry opened his mouth and then shut it again with a snap. Oh bloody hell!

Dawn gripped Connor’s hand tightly as Ron and Harry stared helplessly at each other and said firmly, “If Connor can’t get through then I’m not going. I won’t leave him.”

Hermione rolled her eyes, “Oh for goodness sake.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a group of tickets, “Didn’t any of you listen to Professor Dumbledore this morning?” She sighed at the group of four blank faces, “The barrier isn’t spelled to keep muggles out, it’s spelled to keep anyone who isn’t enrolled in Hogwarts out. You need your tickets in your hand and it’ll cover any family members who are with you. Like Ginny and Mrs Weasley our first year, remember?” She shook her head, “Honestly, I think sometimes I’m the only one to ever listen to anything teachers have to say.”

Ron frowned, “Dumbledore was around this morning?” He thought for a minute and then turned to Harry, “Do you remember seeing Dumbledore this morning?”

Harry shook his head, “Nope.” He turned back to the exasperated Hermione, “Why didn’t you tell us he was there?” He clucked his tongue and wagged a finger at her, “It was a bit rude, Herm. I would have liked to have said hello.”

Hermione’s face turned a brilliant shade of red as her temper exploded, “What?” She spluttered angrily, “He was there at breakfast. You had your stupid, thick head stuck in that bloody Quidditch magazine and Ron was scoffing his third helping of bacon and eggs.” She threw up her hands, “You must remember!”

Ron and Harry managed to keep straight faces for another few seconds and then burst out laughing. Ron poked the furious Hermione in the ribs, “Gotcha!” He wiped his eyes, “Bloody hell, Hermione, I can’t believe you thought we’re that thick!” He chuckled as she smacked him on the arm, “Watch it, you might do me some damage!”

Hermione clenched her fists and glanced at Dawn who was valiantly trying to hide a smirk, “Give me another few weeks and I will do!” She sniffed and turned on her heel, “I’ll see you on the train.”

Harry stifled another belly laugh and grabbed the handle of her trolley, “Hang on, Hermione. I’m sorry, honestly.” He grinned at her for a moment until she gave him a grudging smile in return, “Did Dumbledore really say that Connor could get through with a ticket?”

Hermione gave him a pitying look, “Yes. Which you’d know if you bothered to pay attention.”

Harry smiled winningly, “But I don’t need to pay attention. I have you to do that for me.”

Ron hooked an arm around both their necks and nodded seriously, “And it was bloody good bacon, Hermione.”

Hermione fought to keep a straight face and then giggled as they beamed fondly at her, “Oh you two, what would I do without you?”

Ron squeezed her into his side before stepping away to grip his own trolley, “Probably suffocate under a mountain of homework.” He nodded to Dawn and Connor, “Ok, Connor, you come with me. Dawn, you go with Hermione. Harry, bring up the rear.”

Harry tugged a lock of his hair over his forehead, “Right away your headboyship, sir.”

Ron looked pained as they all fell into position around him, “That’s not funny, git-face.” He took a firm hold of his trolley handle and looked at Connor, “Right, run right at the wall and don’t hesitate. Ok?” Connor nodded and gripped his own trolley, Ron rocked back on his heels, “Ok, now!”

Dawn watched with her heart in her mouth as the two boys sprinted towards the wall and then she gasped as they hit and kept right on going. Hermione glanced up at the clock on the wall, “Only ten minutes to go. Ready Dawn?” Dawn swallowed and reminded herself that she’d done much weirder things than this. She nodded and began to run alongside Hermione when the girl took off at a fast trot, the only problem she had was that she couldn’t currently remember any of them. The wall loomed up in front of her and she closed her eyes as the trolley closed touched the bricks, tensing for the expected crash, and then she had a feeling of pressure before bursting into fresh air.

Dawn opened her eyes and pulled up sharply as she very nearly ran her trolley into a group of small children. Connor reached out an arm and tugged her out of the way and then Harry burst through the wall and skidded to a halt beside them. Dawn stared around and felt her mouth drop open. A huge red steam engine puffed away on the tracks while hundreds of children and their parents stood around chatting and calling to each other in the last few minutes they had before the train pulled out. Owls hooted and trolleys rattled as they were pushed across the wide platform and everywhere she looked there were men and women in robes every colour of the rainbow. “Whoa, magic central.”

Harry gave her a brilliant smile, “Fantastic isn’t it? Come on, this way.” He began to push his trolley in the wake of Ron and Hermione as they made their way down the platform. Dawn fell in next to Connor and followed, craning her neck in every direction, trying to assimilate everything at once.

“Ron! Ron!”

Ron spun round as he heard someone call his name and glared at Connor, “No weapons!” He turned back and opened his arms as a small, plump, red-haired witch flung her arms around his neck and burst into tears.

“Oh Ron!”

Ron flushed bright red and wrapped his arms around his mother, “Hi Mum. Alright?” He patted her back awkwardly and rolled his eyes at Harry as his friend stood grinning to one side, “Alright, Mum, calm down, I’m alright.”

Mrs Weasley pulled back and slapped her youngest son’s arm, “Don’t be cheeky.” She looked him over from head to foot, “Have you been eating properly?”

Ron rolled his eyes again, “Yes Mum. I told you me and Harry would be alright at the Cauldron.”

Mrs Weasley turned and saw Harry, “Harry, dear! Come here.” She tugged him towards her and gave him a firm hug, brushing the hair from his forehead in a loving gesture, “Are you alright, dear? Had a good summer?”

Harry grinned as his favourite woman in the world, after Hermione, patted him lovingly and tried to smooth his stubborn hair flat, “Yes thank you, Mrs Weasley. How are you?”

Mrs Weasley stepped back and folded her arms glaring at the two boys, “You mean apart from having my youngest son off gallivanting over half of Europe, the wizarding press crawling all over the Burrow, an empty house all summer because it’s too dangerous for the two of you to come home and only having a few minutes to see you before you go off to get in Merlin only knows what trouble at school this year?”

Ron winced, “Er, yeah?” Harry’s face went blank and he thought, Home, she called it my home.

The witch bristled, “That’s all you have to say?” She glared furiously at both boys, “I’ve been out of my mind with fear over what might be happening to you and that’s all you have to say?”

Ron shifted his feet unhappily, “Oh Mum, don’t go on. All that happened months ago.” He took a step backwards as his mother swelled like a small, angry toad, “Oh bloody hell.”

“Months ago? Months ago? Do you have any idea what you put me and your father through? All the nights we sat up worrying and…”

Connor watched as the two boys he had formed a tentative friendship with writhe with embarrassment as the older woman systematically tore every last strip of teenage dignity from them. He winced as her voice rose until she was nearly screeching and muttered to Dawn, “Jeez, I thought my mom was bad.”

Dawn giggled and then smiled as Hermione joined her and watched her two best friends reap the benefits of their notoriety, “Ooops, I see Mrs Weasley found them.” She gave Ron a sympathetic smile and then said to Dawn, “This is Ginny Weasley, Ron’s sister. Gin, this is Dawn Summers and Connor Angel, the new students I was telling you about.”

Dawn smiled at the slight redhead by Hermione’s side, “Hello.” Connor spared her a brief nod before turning fascinated eyes back to Harry and Ron and their own personal hell. Dawn winced as Ron’s mum went up a notch with the outraged yelling and then studied the girl before her. Long, red hair fell to halfway down her back, offsetting the creamy coloured skin and gunmetal grey of her eyes. On the left side of her face, a still livid scar ran from eyebrow to beneath her jaw, twisting her mouth into a permanent half smile. She was a few inches shorter than Hermione, but with a slender body swamped by the black school robes she wore.

Ginny flushed under the scrutiny from the stunningly pretty girl and swung her hair self consciously forward, hiding the disfiguring scar she had received in the battle for Hogwarts at the end of the last term. She smiled shyly, “Hello.” Her eyes flickered to her brother and mother, “She’s just relieved to see them.”

Dawn grinned, “Sounds it.” She squeezed Ginny’s arm lightly in reassurance, “Don’t sweat it, you should meet our parents.” She rolled her eyes, “Hysterical doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

They all looked up as Mrs Weasley finally stopped yelling and caught sight of Hermione, “Oh hello, love. I didn’t see you there.” She bustled over and caught the young woman in a bone-crushing hug, “I’m so glad you’re alright, dear. How are your parents now?”

Hermione hugged the smaller witch enthusiastically, “Fine thank you, Mrs Weasley. I just wanted to say how sorry I am about all the trouble the boys got into because of me.” She shook her head making her brown hair dance on her shoulders, “I really can’t apologise enough for all the worry you must have gone through.”

Ron’s mum cupped an affectionate work-roughened hand to Hermione’s cheek, “There, there, dear. It wasn’t your fault. I can hardly blame you for getting yourself kidnapped like that.” She fixed Ron and Harry with a gimlet eye, “I know if you’d have been there then none of this business would have happened.”

Ron’s mouth fell open in outrage, “What? Well of course it wouldn’t have happened woman, she’s the bloody reason we went buggering off to bloody Albania in the first place!”

Mrs Weasley’s mouth tightened, “Don’t you use that language to me, Ronald Weasley. I meant that Hermione’s obviously the only one of the three of you with more sense than spine.” She patted Hermione’s cheek once more and then gathered Ginny to her side, “I don’t know between you three and Ginny, it’s a wonder I have any colour left in my hair at all.” All four English teenagers blushed as she turned to Dawn and Connor, “And who might this be?” Her eyebrows went up as Connor took a cautious step behind Dawn. Fearless when it came to demons, he’d lived with Cordelia too long not to possess a healthy respect for any woman who possessed the title mother and could yell louder than Angel when he got his monthly credit card bill. “It’s alright dear, I don’t bite.”

Connor looked unconvinced and Dawn held out a hand, “Hello ma’am, I’m Dawn Summers and this is Connor. We’re pleased to meet you.” She grinned and elbowed Connor in the stomach, “Say hello to Ron’s mom.” Connor gave a small smile and nodded warily, Dawn sighed, “Sorry, he’s not much with the small talk.”

Mrs Weasley smiled at them both, “Quite alright, my love. I expect he’s a bit shy.” Dawn giggled at the thought of her tough, demon-hunting boyfriend being called shy and gave Mrs Weasley a wide smile as she continued, “Are you joining Hogwarts this year?” She looked them up and down, “You’re a little older than most first years.”

Harry stepped forward hurriedly, “Exchange programme. Professor Dumbledore picked them up and they’ve been staying with Ron and me at the Cauldron, Mrs Weasley.”

Hermione caught the slightly frantic tone of voice and seamlessly picked up the conversation, “Oh goodness, look at the time. We really need to get on board the train.” She grabbed Dawn’s trolley and took off at a brisk trot, “Come on, we’d better hurry.”

Mrs Weasley frowned as the teenagers all hurriedly took off after Hermione, “We’ve got a whole minute left yet!”

Ron grabbed Connor’s owl and shoved Ginny through an open carriage door, passing her the cage and then helping Harry with Dawn’s trunk, “You know how it is, Mum, head boy and prefect stuff to do.” He ignored Hermione’s squawk as he lifted her bodily into the train and then shoved Connor in after her, “We’ll write you as soon as we get there.” The carriage door slammed behind him and he stuck his head out, “Don’t worry, we’ll behave this year, I promise!”

Mrs Weasley blinked, “Alright dear.” She smiled proudly, “Look after Ginny and remember you’re Headboy now, no more breaking the rules!” Her eyes misted over, “Your father and I are so proud of you, Ron…”

Ron grinned, “Thanks Mum.” His mouth fell open as the train began to move and he realised in the haste to get away from his mother that Harry had been left on the platform “Harry!” Ron flung open the door and grabbed the neck of his friend’s sweater, heaving him inside, “What are you doing, you pillock?” He slammed the door shut again and pulled Ginny up beside him to wave to their mother, “Bye Mum! See you in a few months!”

The brother and sister waved until their mother disappeared from sight and then Ron pulled his head in and shut the window. “Bloody hell, that was close.” He looked down at his much smaller sister, “Alright Gin?” He pushed her hair away from her face and scowled, “Are you ok now?” He traced a gentle finger down her scar and then pulled her into a brotherly cuddle when she flushed and glanced unhappily at Dawn and Connor, “Ginny…” His voice trailed away and he squeezed his arm around his sister lightly, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

Hermione nudged Harry, “I’m hungry. Come on.” Harry looked confused as she tugged on his jumper and pushed him into the swaying corridor, Hermione sent Dawn a significant look, “Dawn?” The brunette nodded and grabbed Connor’s arm to pull him into after the other two, softly shutting the door behind them.

“What’s going on?” Harry pointed back inside the carriage, “All my money’s in there.”

Hermione rolled her eyes and shoved him unceremoniously down the swaying corridor, “Get moving, Harry. Ron and Gin need a moment.” She kept them moving until she found an empty compartment and then ushered them all inside. “Sorry about that, but Ron hasn’t seen Ginny since her accident and he’s a bit shaken up.”

Dawn nodded, “What happened?”

Hermione’s face darkened and she glanced at Harry before he shrugged and gestured for her to continue, “Hogwarts was attacked last year, while we were in Albania. Ginny ignored orders for everyone under the sixth year to stay in the common rooms and joined the main fight. She got hit with a curse from a Deatheater and nearly died.” Hermione wrapped her arms around her waist and rocked slightly on the seat, “We were fighting for our lives at the time and then we appartted in the middle of Diagon Alley and the Ministry arrested us and put us straight in the Merlin Memorial because we were in such a bad way. Ginny spent three weeks in the Hogwarts infirmary before she was well enough to travel home and then when Harry and Ron were well enough to go, the Ministry decided that it was too dangerous for them to go back to the Burrow.” Her eyes filled with tears, “My parents are under Ministry supervision at a secret location and Ron and Harry were kept at the Cauldron under twenty-four hour guard.” She looked at Harry as he slipped his arm around her shoulders, “Poor Ginny’s been on her own all summer and Mrs Weasley says that the mediwitches can’t do anything more for her scar.” Tears began to trickle down her face, “Oh, poor Ginny.”

Dawn’s face shone with sympathy, “I’m sorry.” She looked at Connor and he shrugged helplessly as Hermione buried her head in her hands and began to sob in earnest. Dawn turned back to face Harry as he made soothing noises and patted Hermione’s back, “And this is all because of this dark who-ji-ma-whatzit?” He nodded grimly. Dawn leaned forward and pulled Hermione’s hands away from her face, “I can’t do anything about what’s already happened but I can promise you that this guy is going down.” She watched Hermione’s eyes as the girl sniffed back her tears and let a cold smile cross her face, “I don’t care how all bad ass and mean he likes to think he is, he’s never come up against the Slayer and her crew before and we are going to put him in the damn ground.” She held out her hand to Hermione and crooked her little finger, “Pinky swear.”


	6. Chapter Six

Two hours later and all of them were seated in their original compartment, shrieking with laughter as they had a noisy game of exploding snap. Ginny had relaxed slightly and now sat between Ron and Hermione as they waged a vicious war on Dawn, Connor and Harry. When the last card had disappeared with a loud bang in mid air, Ron leaned back against the seat and rubbed his belly, “I’m starving. Anyone know when the trolley’s coming round?”

Hermione grinned affectionately at him, “Its not. Dumbledore’s decided that we’re going to have a proper dining car this year, Neville told me when I ran into him coming back from the loo.”

Ron brightened, “Yeah?” He stood up and patted his pockets, making sure his wallet was safely inside, “Well, come on then. I haven’t eaten since breakfast and I’m famished.” He looked down at his sister, “Gin?”

Ginny shifted uncomfortably at the thought of the looks and whispers she’d encounter if she met anyone she knew. Her hair fell forward over her face and she shook her head, “No, it’s alright. Mum made sandwiches. I’ll stay here.”

Hermione and Dawn exchanged looks as Ron opened his mouth to protest and then both girls grabbed an arm and guided him out the door. Hermione called back over her shoulder, “Ok Gin, we’ll bring you back a chocolate frog.” The girls marched the protesting Ron up the corridor with Harry and Connor bringing up the rear.

“What’s going on?” Ron shook Dawn’s hand off his arm and scowled down at the two girls, “Why don’t you want Ginny to come?”

Hermione squeezed his arm, “Oh Ron, of course we want Ginny to come, but she’s obviously a bit nervous at everyone seeing her face. We won’t be long and then at least when she does have to face people it can be at school and she can get away if she needs to.” She tipped her head to one side and smiled at him, “She just needs a few more hours to get herself together, alright?”

Ron glanced at Harry who nodded at then back at Hermione, “Ok.” His muscles bunched under her fingers as he snarled, “But if anyone says anything to her…”

Hermione stepped through the door to the adjoining carriage and gave him a sly smile, “Then I have the very curse to make them regret it, I promise you.”

Dawn smiled at Connor as she slipped past him and then rolled her eyes, “Damn it, I forgot my money. Have you got any on you?” Connor dug into his jeans pocket and pulled out two Knuts and a single Sickle. She sighed, “I’ll run back to the compartment and get my purse. Go on, I’ll catch you up.”

Connor shook his head, “I’ll come with you.”

“Connor, I think I can find my way back down a straight hallway, on a train that I can’t actually get off.” Dawn stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, “I’ll just be a minute. You go and make sure Ron doesn’t pull a Xander and eat everything before I get there.” She gave him a bright smile and a small shove, “Go on.”

Dawn watched him step reluctantly back through the door and then turned to head back to their compartment. She was maybe ten feet away from her destination when she first caught the sound of voices from where she had left Ginny. She tipped her head to one side and listened intently for a moment and then a low distressed noise that sounded like the younger girl had easing her lucky stake out from her shoulder holster. A quick look up and down the long corridor reassured her she was alone and then she was sidling carefully along the carriage wall to the slightly open door of the compartment.

A girl’s voice, mean and filled with spite reached Dawn’s ears, “Honestly Weasley, this little obsession with Potter has to stop, you know. First you follow him around like a pathetic little house-elf for all those years and then you go and get yourself a matching disfigurement.” The voice filled with vicious laughter, “And you’d think you were hideous enough without the twisted face.”

Dawn’s hand clenched on her stake as Ginny’s answered in a low, shaky voice, “Just get out of here, Pansy. Leave me alone.”

Another voice joined in, “Oh, is the littlest Weasel going to cry? Should we go and get your deformed boyfriend for you, Weasel? I bet he can make it better.”

Dawn swung into the room just as a sharp crack rang out. Ginny stood with her back against the window, eyes wide in her white face, with three girls facing her and their backs to Dawn. One of the girls had a hand clapped to her cheek, “You little cow!” Her hand moved down from her face and reached inside the robes she wore, “I’m going to make you pay for that…”

Ginny gasped as she saw Dawn’s furious face over Pansy’s shoulder, “Dawn, get out!”

Dawn grinned as the girl threatening Ginny swung round and presented her unprotected, fat, pug face and a nose that was just made for flattening. Dawn, ever accommodating, raised her right fist and jabbed smartly into the girl’s face. She turned to the side and kicked out with a powerful foot into a large, ugly girl’s chest. The girl went down with a choked cry, right on top of the one that was crying and holding her nose.

Dawn smiled at the remaining girl, “Hi. You have two choices. One, I kick your ass. Two, you get the hell out of here while I just kick your buddies asses.” Her smile widened as the girl whipped a wand from her robes and drew breath to shout a curse. Dawn jumped up and grabbed the top of the doorframe and then swung both feet up to land squarely in the middle of the girl’s face. The wand flew out of her hand and she crashed backwards into her friends on the floor. Dawn’s feet hit the floor and she stepped forward to kick the wand out of reach under the seat, “Oh, I was so hoping you’d choose option number two.”

Ginny gaped at the brunette as she swiftly grabbed the two remaining wands and threw them behind her into the corridor. Dawn slammed the door shut and then reached down and grabbed hair and robes to drag the shrieking girls up and onto the seats along one side of the travelling space. Dawn nodded with satisfaction as she spotted two magnificent black eyes beginning, one hefty nose bleed, and unless she was very much mistaken, a rather fetching bruise along the largest girl’s face where she’d hit her head on the way to the floor. “Not bad for two minutes work. You ok, Ginny?”

Ginny stared in horror from the wailing girls on the seat to her brother’s new friend, “What did you do?”

Dawn pushed her hair back behind her ears, “Something that should have been done years ago by the looks of things. What’s their deal?” She glared down at the girl with the bleeding nose, “Who the hell are you?”

Ginny shook her head and stumbled forward, “You’d better go before anyone finds us.” She swung her hair over her scar and bit her lip, “I’ll tell people it was me. Quickly!”

Dawn snorted, “I don’t think so. No one gets to take credit for this except me.” She nudged Ginny with her elbow and grinned happily, “Pretty hot stuff, huh?”

Ginny shook her head unhappily, “You don’t understand. If they tell people what you did…” She gripped Dawn’s arm with a shaking hand, “They’re Slytherins.”

Dawn failed to look even slightly worried, “They’re also nasty, vicious bitches who deserved a good smacking.” She clapped her hands together looking pleased with herself, “And there I was in the clinch. Who are they?”

Ginny blinked, “Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode and Emily Nott.” She looked at Pansy who was staring at Dawn through her blood and tears with intense hatred, “Oh Dawn, you really shouldn’t have done that.”

Dawn raised her eyebrows, “Oh Ginny, I really should.” She eyed the three girls grimly, “And as for you three, consider this a wake-up call. A very gentle wake-up call. The next time I catch you even breathing the same air as my friend here I’ll break someone’s arm, got me?” She leaned forward and got in Pansy’s face, smirking at the hiss of fear as the girl leaned back in her seat, “I hate bullies and I really loathe bullies that pick on people in packs. Remember that the rules have changed ladies, there’s a new bad ass in town.” She straightened up and finished scathingly, “And, by the way, I’ve met better looking demons than you three and if you make any more remarks to Gin about her battle scar then I’ll make sure you meet them too. Now get out of here.”

She stepped back as the three girls rushed for the door and then stuck her head out into the corridor to watch them run screaming up the corridor. Dawn laughed and pulled her head back inside the compartment, “Well, that was fun.” She beamed at Ginny, “Wasn’t that fun?”

Ginny sank onto a seat and her eyes filled up with tears, “I’m so sorry. You’re going to get in so much trouble because of me.”

Dawn looked stricken, as the girl burst into tears and moved to wrap a comforting arm around her shoulder, “Don’t cry Trouble’s my middle name, I don’t care.” She rubbed Ginny’s arm briskly, “Really, I was jonesing for a work out.” She stared reflectively at the top of Ginny’s head, “Not that was much of a work out but…” She shrugged, “I’ll take what I can get.” Ginny’s shoulders shook as she began to sob in earnest, “Oh Ginny, don’t. They got what they deserved.”

“I…I’m sorry. I’m not usually like this.” Ginny scrubbed at her face with her sleeve, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” She looked up into Dawn’s concerned green eyes, “You’re being so kind and you must think I’m such a wimp.”

Dawn raised her eyebrows, “Hardly. I heard the smack you gave the one with a face like a Fyarl’s ass.” She hugged Ginny to her, “Go you.” She pushed Ginny’s hair back from her face as the other girl stared miserably at the floor, “And I heard what you did a few months ago. Not seeing the wimp anywhere on you.”

Ginny gave Dawn a startled look, “Who told you about that?” She flushed, “I didn’t do much and I nearly got myself killed.” She touched her face, “And all I have to show for it is this.”

Dawn tilted her head to the side and studied the scar, “Yeah, pretty bad.” She grinned, “But you still have a face to wear it on, so that’s a plus.” She ignored Ginny’s hurt eyes and traced a finger over the raised flesh, “The colour will fade in a few months, it’ll turn silver and it won’t stand out so much.” Her head cocked to the side and she smiled gently, “It’s nowhere near as bad as you think. No one important is going to care about one little mark when the rest of you is such a babe.”

Ginny coloured prettily, “What?”

Dawn patted her arm and stood up, “A babe. Major hotness alert. Plus, the guys go wild for battle scars.” She laughed, “Well, the guys I know anyway. How do you feel about vampires?”

Ginny gave Dawn a startled look as the taller girl dug out her wallet from her bag, “Wh…what?”

Dawn grinned as she tucked her wallet safely into her jeans pocket, “Kidding, just kidding.” She grabbed Ginny’s hand and pulled her towards the door, “Come on, I’m starving and the longer we leave the boys alone with the food the less chance there is of us getting any.”

Ginny dug her heels in, “No, really, I’d much rather stay here.” She gasped as Dawn’s hand tightened and she was tugged off her feet into the corridor, “I don’t want to see anyone yet. I’m not ready.”

Dawn closed the door and pulled the protesting girl up the corridor, “You’re never going to be ready. Bite the bullet, get it over with and stop being a wuss.” She stepped through to the next carriage and continued merrily, “Besides, with a bit of luck there’ll be more Slitheries that make some cracks and I’ll get to smack someone else around for you. Yay!”

  
  


* * *

In the end it was nowhere near as bad as Ginny feared. The dining car was packed with students of all houses, but above a few whispered comments and covert looks no one paid Ginny’s face much attention. Ron on the other hand was getting steadily more annoyed.

“Oi, Ron, show us your tackle, mate!” Dean Thomas bellowed across the dining car and then fluttered his eyelids at the scarlet head boy, “I never knew you were so fit. All these years sharing a room and I never noticed what a catch you were!”

Ron glared furiously across at his fellow Gryffindorr, “Belt up, Dean.”

Seamus Finnegan pretended to swoon, “Ooh, you’re so masterful.” He laughed, “Hermione, is he like that in the sack?”

Hermione choked on her glass of pumpkin juice as Harry and Connor hastily leaned across the table and grabbed Ron before he could fling himself on the laughing Irish boy. Dawn fought to keep a straight face as Ginny giggled and snagged another pumpkin pasty. Hermione wiped a dribble of the cold juice off her chin and turned to Seamus saying coolly, “I’d have thought if anyone would know, Seamus, it’d be you.”

The grin fell off Seamus’ face abruptly as Ron hissed, “HERMIONE!”

Dawn lost the battle and broke down into helpless giggles as Hermione shrugged and daintily popped a piece of pasty into her mouth. She glanced at Ginny as she felt the girl tense beside her and looked round to see a tall, blond boy sweeping down the narrow aisle towards them. Her eyes travelled over his shoulder and she winced as she saw the three Slytherin girls that she had trounced earlier crowding in behind him and behind them the largest humans she’d ever seen outside of a wrestling ring.

“Potter.” Harry looked up at the familiar cool drawl and into Draco Malfoy’s cold blue eyes. He glanced at the swollen faces of the girls behind Malfoy and then let his eyes rest on Crabbe and Goyle for a moment before he looked back at the pale Slytherin and nodded.

Ron scowled and looked at Connor, “Now him you can kill.”

Connor sniffed the air, “He doesn’t smell like a demon.”

Dawn turned her body slightly to block the group’s view of Ginny and eyed the tall, pale-faced boy, “Are you sure?” She eased her stake out of its holder and ran her finger over the tip, “He looks dead.”

Malfoy folded his arms and glared down at the people around the table, determinedly not looking at Ginny, “When you’ve quite finished, there’s a little matter that I think needs to be resolved.” He jerked his head back to indicate Pansy and her friends, “They were attacked a little while ago and their wands stolen. I believe your new…acquaintances might have had something to do with it.” The word acquaintances was drawn out with distaste, the way someone else might say dung beetles.

Harry calmly met his eyes, “I don’t think so, Malfoy. They’ve been with us the whole time. Push off, we’re eating and you’re curdling the pumpkin juice.”

Malfoy's eyes flickered briefly and then he said, “Actually I rather think this is something the head boy needs to deal with, Potter. Can’t be the one in the limelight all the time, after all.” He looked at Ron, “Well, what are you going to do about it?”

Ron sighed and took a huge bite of a pasty, “Hang on…” He chewed slowly then looked at Dawn and Connor, “Did you do it?” He continued without waiting for them to reply, “Nope, wasn’t them. Bugger off now. Please.”

Hermione looked at Dawn with a sudden dreadful suspicion as the brunette bared her teeth at the cowering Slytherins girls and waggled her fingers in a mocking wave. She switched to stare for a moment at the guilty looking Ginny and then groaned, “Oh no…”

Ron looked up at his friend at her low moan and then followed the line of her appalled gaze to the cheerful looking Dawn. “Oh bloody hell!” He put a hand over his eyes as Dawn’s grin widened and muttered, “Five minutes you were gone, five sodding minutes. How can you possibly have time to get in this much trouble in five minutes?”

Dawn tried, and failed, to look modest, “It’s a gift.”

Connor looked at the three girls and their bruised faces, “You did that?” He cocked his head to one side, “Looks like your balance was a little off on that one.” He gestured to Emily Nott and the discoloured bruise down one side of her face, “Sloppy, honey, very sloppy.”

Dawn grinned at him, “Shows what you know, I donkey kicked her in the chest and she smacked her face going down.” She sniffed smugly, “I’m betting there’s a boot mark smack dab centre if she took her top off.” She looked back at Malfoy and frowned doubtfully, “Are you sure he’s not dead?”

Ron buried his face in his hands, ”I can’t believe you beat them up.” His head rocked from side to side, “I can’t believe you beat them up.”

Harry looked worriedly from the smug Malfoy to the unrepentant Dawn, “Did you steal their wands as well?”

“Pfft, of course not!” Dawn waved a dismissive hand and reached for a cauldron cake, “I took them off them and threw them into the corridor.” She crammed the cake into her mouth, “S’not my fault they ran off without picking them up.”

Malfoy curled his lip at her, “Yes, that is surprising. Who’d have thought they wouldn’t be able to see through all the blood and pain?” He glared at her coldly, “You’ve ruined their faces.”

Hermione whispered dryly, “How can you tell the difference?” Dawn choked on a crumb of cake at the sly question and Hermione thumped her helpfully on the back as she glared coolly at Malfoy, “Have you asked them why Dawn hit them?” Her eyes flickered to Ginny and then back to Malfoy, “I’ll bet she had a good reason.”

Draco’s eyes shifted to Ginny who was huddled in the corner, hiding behind her curtain of hair, “I hardly think that’s relevant.”

Connor leaned back in his seat and threw a casual arm over the back of his seat, “I think it is.” He gave Malfoy a level look, “If that’s alright with you.” He had caught Hermione’s telling glance at Ginny and was pretty sure he’d figured out what had happened. His mouth tightened into a cold smile, “I think it’s a very good idea we find out what happened.”

Dawn felt Ginny shift uncomfortably beside her and reached a lightening fast decision, “Nothing. I ran into them in the corridor and they wouldn’t move out of my way, so I hit them. No big. Sorry.” One glare from her hard green eyes had Pansy shutting her mouth before the other girl revealed Ginny’s attack on her. Dawn pressed back against Ginny for a moment in reassurance before finishing coldly, “My bad. Now leave it alone.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Dawn sheltering Ginny and then he looked at Hermione. The two eyed each other for a few moments before he looked back at Malfoy, “You heard her. She said sorry, now get lost.”

Draco half turned to look at Pansy and then he looked back at Potter and his friends. The slight brunette’s story had, by sheer coincidence, matched exactly with Pansy’s hysterical explanation when she had burst into his compartment but after seeing Hermione’s look of startled comprehension when she looked at Ginny, he was beginning to have a feeling there was more to the story than met the eye. He smirked, “I don’t think so, Potter. Weasley, I insist as head boy you do something about this. I’m afraid I can’t allow an attack like this go unpunished.” He looked at Ginny out of the corner of his eye as she swung a stricken face up to him, “If you do not act accordingly, I’m afraid that I’ll have no alternative but to report this to my head of house when we get to the school.” His smirk increased mockingly, “As senior prefect for Slytherin, I’m sure you understand I can’t do anything else in good conscience.”

Ron jumped up, “Why you slimy…”

Hermione grabbed for his arm as Ginny shot up white faced and yelled, “No!” She grabbed Ron’s other arm and said urgently, “Ron, you can’t punish her, she was protecting me!” She darted a look at the suddenly expressionless look on the Slytherin prefect’s face and then said urgently to her brother, “She was protecting me. I hi…hit Pansy and Dawn came in as they were about to curse me. She didn’t do anything wrong, it was all me.”

Ron’s mouth dropped open, “What? Ginny, what on earth did you do that for?” His brows drew together sharply, “What did they do to you?”

Dawn winked at Connor as Ginny closed her mouth and stared mutinously at the floor, “That’s my cue.” She stood up and eased into the aisle until she stood before Malfoy and then turned to Ron, “They had Ginny trapped and were being mean about her scar and…” She caught Ginny’s sudden shake of the head and continued smoothly, “And other stuff.” She stared up into Malfoy’s eyes, “It was three against one and even when I came in we were still outnumbered. You’ll look pretty stupid telling that to a teacher.” Her head tilted appraisingly, “Are you absolutely sure you aren’t dead? You really don’t look like someone on nodding terms with a pulse.”

Malfoy blinked and then shook his head dismissing her remark, “Is this true?” His eyes rested on Ginny for a moment before glaring at the three girls behind him, “Is that what happened?”

Pansy squirmed under his furious look, “Draco, of course not. We were just having a conversation with Ginny when she came in and attacked us.” Her eyes flashed spitefully, “You know I would never do anything like that. After all its hardly poor Ginny’s fault she’s had her face ruined.”

Draco caught Ginny’s flinch from the corner of his eye and swung round to nod at Ron, “I’ll take care of this Weasley.” His eyes rested on Ginny for a moment, “You have my word this will not happen again.”

Ron’s mouth fell open again, “What?” He was pretty sure Harry and Hermione wore identical looks of shock at Malfoy’s statement.

Malfoy ignored the gasps of shock and surprise coming from all around him and nodded at Dawn, “I apologise for any upset caused.”

Dawn shrugged, “Like I said, no big.”

Malfoy nodded, “Right. Weasley, I’ll leave it up to you how you wish to deal with your sister and her friend and I’ll deal with my own house members, I trust that is acceptable?”

Ron whispered weakly, “Um…yeah.” He shook his head to clear it and stared disbelieving at his mortal enemy, “Yeah, that’s fine.”

Malfoy turned and grabbed Millicent’s arm, giving her a quick shove to get moving. Ron stared after the Slytherins as they were herded out by the senior prefect and wagged a finger unsteadily after them, “And let that be a lesson to you.” The sounds of protesting Slytherins sounded until the carriage door shut, cutting them off. Ron sank back down onto his seat, “Did that just happen?” He pinched his arm sharply, “I’m not dreaming am I? Draco Malfoy actually let Dawn and Ginny off the hook, didn’t he?” He twisted round and met the astonished eyes of other people in the dining car, all of whom had been silent while the confrontation was happening. “Everyone else saw that, right? I haven’t gone mad?”

A murmur of assent echoed round the room as Harry blinked uncertainly behind his glasses, “I suppose that was Malfoy? Not someone pretending to be him?”

Connor and Dawn exchanged puzzled looks, “What’s the big deal? Dawn was right and the other girls were wrong.” Connor shrugged, “Case closed.”

Hermione shook her head, “It’s not quite that simple with Malfoy. He’s been out to get us since our first year.” She glanced worriedly at the carriage door, “He’d never normally let an opportunity like this go. He’s up to something.”

Ginny spoke up, “He’s not that bad.”

“Ginny!” Ron looked at his sister in horrified amazement, “Have you gone stark staring mad? It’s MALFOY! Of course he’s that bad.”

Ginny flushed, “He helped me last year when I was hurt.” She remembered the calm way he had held her and taken her to the hospital wing when she had been out of her mind with pain after being hit by the death eater’s curse and said more firmly, “He’s not how he used to be.”

Harry spoke up hurriedly as Ron looked like he was about to explode, “Well, we can’t worry about it now. We’d better get back to the compartment and get changed into our robes. We’re nearly at the school.”

Ron shook his head in disbelief at his obviously deranged sister and stood up, “Yeah, alright, mate.” He gestured for Hermione to go in front of him and then shook his head again, “Malfoy’s not that bad. Honestly!”

Dawn eyed Ginny curiously as she dipped her head to hide another blush and then caught up to Ron, “So, seriously, really not dead? He’s definitely human?”

Ron sighed gloomily, “Unfortunately.”

Dawn pictured the slim, pale face again in her mind, “Weird.” Who’d have thought someone could be that pale and still be all pulse having and upright?

  
  


* * *

When they finally arrived at Hogsmeade station Dawn and Connor found themselves separated from Harry and the others by a beaming Hagrid. “Professor Dumbledore says yer to be sorted. Yer to come along o’ me and the firs’ years.” His face lit up as he waved to Hermione and Ginny, “Alrigh’ girls? Had a good summer, did yeh?”

Connor scratched at his neck where the cloth of his robe and his tie were conspiring to make life very uncomfortable, “We’ve got to be what?”

Hagrid hugged Hermione and Ginny enthusiastically, “Yer to be sorted. Yer to come with me, an’ I’ll take yeh to the school with the firs’ years.” He patted Ginny affectionately on the head and raised his lantern to bellow, “Firs’ years wi’ me. Follow me firs’ years!”

Harry patted Dawn’s arm, “Go on. They just want to decide what house you’ll be in. It’s nothing. We’ll see you at the feast.” He raised a hand and waved to Hagrid, “See you at the feast, Hagrid!” The half-giant turned and waved and then began to lead the new crop of wizards and witches off to the boats. Connor took Dawn’s hand and led her off to follow the small children who were staring around them with huge, nervous eyes as they followed Hagrid’s lantern into the dark.

Ron made for the horseless carriages and then stopped and bellowed after the two Americans, “And don’t bloody hit anything!”

Connor looked back as he waited at the side of the station house for Hagrid to finish counting heads and make sure he wasn’t missing anyone. His teeth flashed as he grinned at the disgruntled shout and then he frowned as a flash of moonlight on pale hair caught his eye. He narrowed his eyes and realised that he could see the boy that had accused Dawn earlier lurking in the shadows of the train as it was unloaded. He stood alone, his robes pulled tightly around him and staring intently towards Harry and his friends as they sauntered casually to their rides up the castle. Connor frowned uneasily, what was he doing?

He was just about to nudge Dawn when he saw the boy’s shoulders tense as Ginny fell back slightly behind her brother and looked around her. Her head turned and she cast a quick glance behind her as though she was aware of eyes watching. The blond boy drew back further into the shadows as the small red head peered uneasily into the dark, she jumped as Hermione called her name and ran to catch up with her brother and climb into the carriage they were sharing.

Connor watched as the boy eased forward out of the shadows and stood looking after the carriage as it made its way towards the school. The thin, clever-looking face was looking at the carriage with a mix of curiosity and reluctant longing as he stood on the cold platform and Connor was prepared to bet his last stake that the lonely figure wasn’t yearning after Harry Potter or his buddy Ron. His mouth twitched with amusement. Well, well, and to think he thought school would be boring!

Dawn pulled sharply on his hand to bring his attention back to her as Hagrid shouted and the group of small children moved off into the trees and down a dark, unlit path. “Connor, stay alert.” She frowned suspiciously at him and then peered at the platform, “What’s the matter? Is there something out there?”

Connor glanced back and saw the boy had disappeared again; he shook his head and pulled out a stake to hold it loosely beside his leg as he followed the two small girls in front, “No. I just wanted to make sure that they unloaded our stuff properly.” He squeezed her hand lightly, “Come on, lets get this over with. You take point.”

  
  
  
  


* * *

Dawn and Connor entered the great hall at the rear of the first years and waved happily to Ron and the others when they spotted them at the head of the Gryffindor table. Ron waved back and hissed to Hermione out of the corner of his mouth, “Do they look like they’ve been in a fight to you?”

Hermione chuckled and patted his hand reassuringly, “Calm down, Ron. They’re now officially Dumbledore’s problem, right?”

Ron narrowed his eyes as Dawn and Connor stalked past, staring up at the bewitched ceiling completely oblivious to the stares and comments they were attracting from the students that hadn’t seen them on the train. He glanced at the Slytherin table and saw that the whole house was directing poisonous looks at the two as they followed the first years to the platform at the front of the hall and stood watching the teacher’s table expectantly. Harry nudged him in the ribs and said in a low voice, “Might have a problem there.” Ron nodded in resigned agreement and turned his head to watch as the sorting hat was brought forward and sat on its stool. Name him a single day when there hadn’t been a problem with Slytherin.

Professor Dumbledore stood and winked down at Dawn before smiling merrily at the rest of the school, “Welcome back!” He peered over the top of his glasses and surveyed the young faces before him; “It’s a positive delight to see so many of you return after the slight unpleasantness at the end of last term.”

Ginny looked up as she felt eyes on her and found herself staring into Draco Malfoy’s cool blue eyes. Their gazes held for a few seconds as they both thought of the pitched and bloody battle for their school and the terrible hours of screaming fear that they had managed to survive. A small smile flickered over Ginny’s face and then she turned back to face Dumbledore. Malfoy’s eyes stayed where they were for a minute before he slowly and thoughtfully turned his attention back to the headmaster.

Dumbledore gestured towards Dawn and Connor, “It also gives me great pleasure to introduce two new students to the seventh year. Miss Summers and Mr Angel are joining us from America and I’m sure you’ll all make them feel very welcome.” Harry and Ron looked at the Slytherin table and rather doubted it but smiled and clapped along with the other three house tables. Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled as he clapped his hands together, “Marvellous. Well, to the sorting and then onto the feast.”

Professor McGonagall stepped forward and unrolled a large parchment she held in her hands, “When I call your names, please step forward and place the hat on your head. You will then be sorted.” She nodded and the sorting hat was brought forward to sit on a stool. Connor and Dawn jumped along with all the first years as a huge mouth appeared on the front of the beaten looking thing and it began to sing in a deep, husky voice:

_Although you see,_

_What appears to be,_

_Some old leather and cotton,_

_And some rather tattered threads_

_Let me assure you,_

_You’ll never have a smarter hat,_

_To sit upon your heads._

Connor’s hand suddenly grew a long, silver dagger, “Is it evil?”

Dawn eyed the singing hat doubtfully, “I don’t think so.” She winced as the hat tried for a high C and failed miserably, “Although I’m not discounting that theory.”

_I’ve sorted wizards great and small,_

_I’ve found the witches who are best of all_

_And I’ve seen the minds_

_Of those born to rule_

_The weak and strong alike,_

_And I can tell you here and now_

_If you think I’m just a hat_

_You can take a hike_

Dawn rolled her eyes, “Smart it may be, Elton John it ain’t.”

Connor frowned, “Who?”

_I can see inside your minds_

_And see where you belong,_

_I can see where you might fit,_

_And which house will make you strong,_

_So come to me, if you dare_

_And put me on your head,_

_Be it Gryffindor, Ravenclaw,_

_Hufflepuff or Slytherin,_

_I’ll read your mind and see,_

_The proper place where you belong_

_And who your friends should be!_

The hall broke out in enthusiastic applause as the hat shut its mouth and Dawn stared incredulously around her at the clapping wizards, “Did they just listen to the same song we did?”

Professor McGonagall glanced at the scroll in her hand, “Akers, Simeon!” A small boy with slicked back hair and a pale face stepped forward and placed the hat on his head. All was silent for a moment and then the hat’s mouth opened again and it bellowed, “Slytherin!” The Slytherin table erupted with cheers and the small boy climbed shakily off the platform and made his way to his new housemates. “Angel, Connor!” Connor squeezed Dawn’s hand and stepped forward, whilst at the Gryffindor table Ron closed his eyes and implored, “Don’t kill it, don’t kill it.”

Connor placed the hat on his head and kept his eyes on Dawn as a voice began to whisper in his mind, “Hmm, difficult choice. I can’t see any magical talent in you at all, but you aren’t a simple muggle either. Too savage for Ravenclaw, too simplistic for Hufflepuff.”

Connor rolled his eyes up to look at the hat brim as the voice continued, “Slytherin couldn’t use your power and Gryffindor value brain as well as brawn.

Hmm.” Connor shifted uncomfortably as he felt the hat’s presence work insidiously through his mind, “I can’t see where you’d fit. You don’t belong here at all. You’d best leave and…”

Connor’s hand rose and gripped the hat firmly underneath its point, he flexed his fingers and kept his eyes on Dawn as he thought calmly, “See that girl over there?”

The hat’s material writhed against his fingertips angrily and Connor ignored the startled exclamations all around him as he continued to speak in his mind, “She belongs here and I belong with her. She’s where I fit, so unless you want to find out what it’s like to be reshaped into a pair of gloves you’ll quit the mystical crap and put me with her, ok?”

The hat continued to writhe against his merciless fingers, “How dare you! I’m the sorting hat and I have never been treated so disrespectfully in all my days. I am the most powerful hat in the world and you cannot threaten me!”

Connor grinned mirthlessly, “Powerful, huh? Can you grow legs and run really fast? Because that’s the only thing that might save you if you don’t do what I tell you.” He crushed his hand around the hat, “Understood?” He took the hat from his head and looked it dead in the brim, “You think about it for a while and me and Dawn will be over here. Watching you think. Carefully.” He brought the hat to his mouth and whispered, “And just in case you’re wondering, I’m armed to the teeth, and I can put a knife through your point with my eyes shut. Don’t try to get smart.” He placed the hat back on the stool and nodded at Professor McGonagall as he sauntered past her, “It needs some time to think. Dawn and I will wait until the end.”

Dawn looked from the implacable Connor to the sorting hat as he rejoined her, “What happened?”

Connor slung his arm around her shoulders and met the twinkling eyes of Professor Dumbledore, “It’s considering its options.” His gaze drifted to the hat, which appeared to be watching him from the stool, his eyes narrowed, “Carefully.”

Professor McGonagall turned to the headmaster and stared at him completely bewildered by the turn of events. Dumbledore nodded to her to continue and she glared for minute before turning back to her parchment, “Avery, Henry!” Her voice cracked like a whip, making the boy whose name had been called tremble violently as he approached the hat.

Dawn looked away and turned her head to peer up at Connor, “What did you do?”

  
  


* * *

The sorting ceremony progressed quickly and soon Dawn and Connor were the only ones left standing by the teacher’s table. There had been a brief pause when Dawn’s turn had come on the list but Professor Dumbledore had shaken his head briefly at McGonagall and she had skipped to “Syms, Alanna” with barely a pause.

The hall fell silent and all eyes turned to Dawn as she was motioned forward and the hat placed on her head. There was a silence of a few minutes and then the hat opened its mouth and screamed. Connor barely had time to move when the hat shot vertically off Dawn’s head and disappeared screaming up to the enchanted ceiling. Dawn flung herself to the floor and rolled to come up with a stake in one hand and a crossbow in the other as Connor arrived beside her and produced his axe and a stake. The hall exploded with noise, as the students yelled and screamed in panic, and above the racket Connor could just about hear Ron yelling, “No killing! No killing!”

Dumbledore reared to his feet and bellowed, “Silence! SILENCE!” The students and teachers paused as his voice echoed around the hall and gradually the room fell silent. Dumbledore stared around himself and said calmly, “There is no cause for alarm.” Harry, Ron and Hermione burst through the milling students with wands drawn as the headmaster continued, “Please resume your seats.”

Dawn found herself between Ron and Connor as the teenagers instinctively went back to back and searched the ceiling of the hall, “What the hell just happened?” She tracked her crossbow along her line of sight, her eyes never leaving the air above her.

  
  
Ron braced his shoulder against Hermione’s and hissed, “No idea. Never happened before. Hermione?”

Hermione stared into the magical stars and clouds scudding along above her head, “No idea. There’s no record of anything like this ever happening in ‘Hogwarts: A History’. Harry, is your scar hurting?”

Harry shook his head, “No, not even a twinge. It’s not Voldemort.”

“I didn’t really mean that I’d stab it. It was just a threat.”

Dawn nodded, “Ok, keep your eyes peeled gu…what?” She kept her eyes on the ceiling and hissed, “What do you mean it was just a threat?”

Connor winced, “It was going to tell the hall I didn’t belong here so I threatened it.”

Ron groaned, “I bloody knew it!”

“Ahem.” Dawn’s eyes moved sideways at the sound of a throat being gently cleared and she saw Dumbledore giving them a pointed look, “Perhaps we might persuade the hat to return if we aren’t so…gung-ho in our persuasion tactics?” He smiled gently, “And the removal of the weapons would alleviate the tension considerably. I assure you, you are all quite safe here.”

Dawn’s eyes moved back to the ceiling, “Connor?”

Professor McGonagall hissed a disbelieving breath, “Young lady, the headmaster has requested you stop this nonsense at once. Obey him.” She stared at Harry, Hermione and Ron as they remained staring up at the ceiling, wands at the ready, “Potter! Weasley!”

Dawn ignored the Scottish witch and repeated, “Connor?”

Connor gave a last piercing look above him and then relaxed reluctantly. “Stand down.” He stepped forward and lowered his axe but not sheathing it, “Just stay alert.” He glanced around at the pale faces of the students, “I’m going to take a look round and make sure we’re secure.” He jumped off the stage and loped up the central aisle ignoring Professor McGonagall’s outraged shout to come back immediately.

Dawn lowered her crossbow and held it loosely by her thigh, “Harry, any other ways in or out of this room?”

Harry nodded, “The professors entrance.” He cut his eyes to the red-faced McGonagall, “Um, Dawn, you might want to call Connor back. I think we might be in trouble.”

Dawn eyed the witch and then Professor Dumbledore. He looked back at her with an expression of mild interest and raised his eyebrows. Dawn nodded, “Connor!” She waved a casual hand at him as he stood by the hall doors, “Come back. I think it’s ok.” She watched as he paused for a moment and then rested his axe nonchalantly on his shoulder to make his way back to her. Dawn waited until he was back by her side and then faced the teacher’s table again. She looked at the horrified faces staring back at her and then at Dumbledore’s amused expression, “Just what the hell is going on here?”

The headmaster flashed a brilliant smile at her belligerent tone and rubbed his hands together happily, “I have no idea.” He leaned forward and winked at the five silent teenagers, “Exciting isn’t it?”


	7. Chapter Seven

The hall was silent. For the first time in Hogwarts history the beginning of term feast had ended with all four houses packed off to their common rooms to finish their meals in uneasy silence. Professor Dumbledore stood beside the teacher’s table and clasped his hands behind his back, “Well, well, well. What an interesting start to the new term.”

Dawn and Connor sat side by side with their arms folded and eyed the old man impassively. Ron, Harry and Hermione stood uneasily beside them, shifting from foot to foot and casting glances between the headmaster, the two Americans and the rest of the faculty grouped around the Professor. Connor glanced up at the ceiling, “Is that thing ever coming down?”

Dumbledore allowed his eyes to drift upwards, crinkling with amusement, “All in good time, all in good time.”

Dawn leaned back and grabbed an abandoned goblet of pumpkin juice, “Is there anything to eat? I’m starving.”

Professor McGonagall stepped forward and snapped, “Young lady, I would think the last thing on your mind would be food. You are in a great deal of trouble and I would suggest you remember who you are speaking to.” She sniffed and turned to the three Gryffindors, her Scottish accent becoming more pronounced in her agitation, “And as for you three…”

Professor Dumbledore placed a restraining hand on her arm, “Now, now, Minerva, we must remain calm.”

“Calm?” McGonagall’s voice screeched incredulously across the hall, causing the unhappy few within the cavernous walls to wince in startled pain. Connor clapped his hands over his ears, his face screwed up in shock as his overly sensitive hearing was assaulted. The older woman took a breath and lowered her voice with considerable effort, “Calm? Professor Dumbledore, they ignored your orders, brought weapons into the school, threatened the Sorting Hat…”

She trailed off, too angry to form coherent speech and Dumbledore nodded in amusement, “Yes, quite the first impression, eh?” He rocked back on his heels slightly as he smiled benevolently at the teenagers before him, “A very memorable start to your year as head boy, Ron. Very memorable indeed.”

Ron flicked a glance at Harry and Hermione and then met the headmaster’s eyes with a shrug, “Sorry, sir. We thought they might need our help.”

A low, cool voice entered the conversation, “As always you seem to have decided that the rules do not seem to cover you and your friends, Weasley.”

Connor looked up as a tall, gaunt figure stepped up beside the headmaster and tensed sniffing the air cautiously. He glanced back at Dawn to see she’d already palmed her stake and was tensed to spring, “He’s clean. Not a demon.”

Dawn eyed the man in disbelief, “Seriously?” She looked him slowly up and down, “He’s a good guy?” Her elbow nudged into Hermione’s side, “There’s nothing evil about him at all?”

Harry folded his arms across his chest and glared at Professor Snape as he muttered, “Well, I wouldn’t say that exactly.”

Snape’s cold eyes rested on Harry for a moment as he glared hatefully over his hooked nose, “Pardon, Potter?” His eyes glittered with malice and spite as Harry drew himself up to his full height and stared defiantly back at him, “Did you say something?”

Hermione gripped her hands together tightly, stifling a moan as Harry opened his mouth to speak and then they all turned as Professor Binns floated up to join them. Hogwarts’ only ghostly professor shook his head, “I’m sorry, headmaster, I simply cannot persuade the hat to come down. It’s nesting on the central beam and quite refusing to consider leaving the spot.”

Connor tipped his head back and narrowed his eyes to stare into the ceiling, “Can you lift the charm on the stars and stuff?” Professor Dumbledore nodded and Connor reached for Dawn’s hand as he began to move to the centre aisle, “Ok, do it. We’ll get your hat.” He left Dawn leaning against a table as the charmed sky melted away and then paced quickly down the aisle until he was under the supporting beam in the hall. Connor could make out the darker shadow of the hat against the dim light afforded in the ceiling and he turned to look speculatively at Dawn.

Professor McGonagall opened her mouth to speak and was hushed into silence by Professor Dumbledore as he gestured for her to watch the two young people. Connor walked back to Dawn and tilted his head to one side, “Do you trust me?”

Dawn grinned, “Do you have to ask?”

Connor gave her a wide smile and then backed away as he kept his eyes locked with hers, “I’m going to throw you.”

Dawn ignored the gasps and protests behind her as she began to sprint towards him and as her foot hit his waiting hand said, “You’d better catch me.”

Harry Potter had seen some down right disturbing things in his time as a wizard but the image of the slender girl being thrown a hundred feet into the air by her not-quite-creature-of-the-night boyfriend would live with him till the day he died. What was even more amazing was the way Connor seemed to sense the Sorting Hat move the minute Dawn’s foot hit his hand and he adjusted the direction of his throw to bring Dawn directly into the fleeing hat’s path.

Dawn soared through the air, snatching the hat with the same competent skill that Harry had caught countless snitches, and then somersaulted in midair and then came down towards the ground in a graceful, feet first fall. Harry was dimly aware of Hermione and Professor McGonagall screeching in horror beside him when it looked as if Dawn would plummet into the unforgiving stone floor and then there was a blur of black robes as Connor somersaulted through the air and caught her neatly in his arms before landing on his two, perfectly balanced feet.

Dawn pushed her hair out of her eyes and kissed Connor’s cheek as she slipped out of his arms, “That was fun. We should do that more often.”

Connor grinned at her flushed cheeks and bright eyes, “Adrenaline junkie.” He adjusted his robes over his shoulders with a pained grimace and then twitched the folds of Dawn’s robes until they hung in perfect order around her once more.

Dawn smirked as he slung an affectionate arm around her shoulders and they headed back to their stunned and horrified audience, “ Why else do you think I hang out with you?” She held up the hat as it writhed in her fingers and winced as it began to make a high pitched keening noise, “This thing is really giving me the wiggins.” She reached Professor Dumbledore and held out the piece of leather with a moue of distaste, “Here. One insane hat.”

The Professor took it with a smile and gathered the open-mouthed professors into a huddle around him as Dawn and Connor stalked past him and rejoined Harry, Hermione and Ron. The three English students stared in incredulous shock at the pair as they hopped casually back onto the table and began bickering over the goblet of pumpkin juice that Dawn had appropriated earlier. Connor finally gave up on his struggles to relieve Dawn of the cup when she bit him hard on his wrist and looked up to find three bug eyed faces watching him speechlessly. “What?” He frowned as no one spoke and continued to watch him with abject horror, “What? What’s the matter?”

Hermione gestured weakly to Dawn as she gulped at her goblet and then back to Connor, “You…you…and Dawn…and you…”

Connor looked at Dawn and then back to Hermione and, drowning in a sea of confusion and unfinished sentences, he nodded encouragingly, “Yes?”

Hermione looked weakly at Harry, “What she means is…well, you…and then you…”

Connor lost interest abruptly, “Ok, page me when you’re coherent.” He craned his neck and brightened happily, “I see food.”

Dawn abandoned her pumpkin juice hurriedly, “Oh, where?” She yelped angrily as Connor jumped off the table and made use of his super speed to make for the foot of the Gryffindor table and an abandoned plate of sausages, “Hey, share the wealth.”

Hermione, Ron and Harry turned as one and watched as Dawn jumped off the platform and headed towards her frantically chewing boyfriend with a determined and hungry look, on her face. “They just aren’t normal.”

Ron cocked an eyebrow at Harry’s muttered comment, “Really, you think? What tipped you off?” He looked on in stupefied amazement as Connor evaded Dawn’s greedy grab and somersaulted without any apparent effort over the wide table and landed on the floor without losing a single sausage from his plate. “How does he do that?” His hands spread wide in a gesture of complete bafflement, “I mean, seriously, how does he do that?” He watched as Connor grinned tauntingly at Dawn and waggled a sausage at her mischievously before shoving it into his mouth in one go, “If I tried that I’d be flat on my face before I even cleared the table.”

Hermione watched as Dawn feinted left and then leapt onto the table to cartwheel gracefully off and snatch a sausage before Connor could whisk the plate out of her way, “How can she do that?” Her eyebrows went up as Dawn paused suddenly and a sly, calculating grin stole over her face. She nonchalantly leaned one slim hip against the table and ignored Connor as he waved the plate of food under her nose to stick out her tongue and swirl it lightly round the end of her stolen spoils. “Now what’s she doing?”

Harry’s jaw sagged as he watched Dawn apparently focus on nibbling at the tip of the tube of meat with every sign of; there was no other word for it, lusty enjoyment. “Oh Merlin.” His eyes cut to the group of teachers but they seemed to be completely oblivious to anything going on behind them, and were instead giving the Sorting Hat their full, grim, undivided attention as they stood in a tight circle around it.

Ron felt his face slacken and wished that the rush of blood to his pants meant that his trousers would feel as loose. He blinked as Dawn cocked her head, widening her eyes suggestively at Connor and gave coquettish smile before closing her white teeth over the meat and giving a gentle tug to suck a little more of it in her mouth. Connor stood frozen as he watched Dawn, the plate of sausages tilting forgotten in his hand, as he watched the tip of her pink and wriggling tongue flicker against the crisp, golden sausage.

“Mmm.” All the spit in Harry’s mouth dried clean up as Dawn gave a low, delighted hum and her cheeks hollowed as she sucked another miniscule amount of her impromptu phallic weapon in her mouth.

Hermione looked at Ron and Harry as they stared in hormonal fascination at Dawn’s softly flexing lips and tongue, “What’s the matter with you two?” She narrowed her eyes in bafflement as she looked back at Dawn, and then she stared for a long moment at Connor’s stupefied expression and his glazed eyes, “Oh for…You aren’t serious?” She planted her hands on her hips, “You aren’t seriously telling me that…that…a girl eating a sausage…”

“Ha, su-cker!” Hermione’s attention snapped back to Dawn as the girl suddenly lunged forward and snatched the plate of sausages from Connor’s hand, dancing back triumphantly, eyes filled with wicked mirth, “You’re just too easy!” She spun gracefully on her heel and marched back towards the platform, throwing the flabbergasted Hermione a smug smile. Dawn stepped onto the platform and made for the table, boosting herself onto the smooth, aged wood and holding the plate out to Hermione, “Sausage?”

Hermione looked between Ron, Harry and Connor grimly and then tossed her head, “You’re an embarrassment to your sex.” She stuck her nose in the air as Harry and Ron twitched at the mention of the word sex and stalked with robes swirling angrily around her to join Dawn, “Was that some sort of charm?”

Dawn cast an eye over her plate and snatched up a particularly plump and golden delicacy and stuffed it in her mouth with all the restraint of a hellhound savaging a teen in formal wear. She chewed quickly and swallowed to ease the congestion in her mouth a bit, before answering Hermione and giving the English girl a spectacularly good view of the half masticated meat still on her tongue, “Nah, that’s an Anya trick.” She looked smugly at Connor as he stood still by the table wearing the beginnings of an annoyed scowl as he slowly came back from his own personal happy place, “It only works on the smoochie frustrated or the permanently horny.” She chewed again and swallowed her mouthful before putting the plate to one side and grabbing another sausage up to nibble on, this time normally.

“Fortunately that covers all teenage boys and Xander. The trick is not to look like you’re doing anything until you’ve reeled them in and then give it a lot of tongue and lip action, their own perverted little minds do the rest.” With a happy shrug she watched as Connor’s face began to flood with angry colour and grinned smugly at him, “A girl uses every weapon she has. I’ll never be able to match Connor in the sheer super-speed stakes so I took advantage of the fact that he hasn’t had his hormonal hands on me yet and he’s wound tighter than Ahn and Giles on tax day.”  
  


Hermione shook her head, “Amazing.” She sneered at Ron and Harry as they stood in thoughtful, and stiff-legged silence, a few paces away from the table, “I’m deeply ashamed that I share the same species as these people.”

Dawn eyed Connor as he stomped back to the platform and pointedly turned his back on her to stand with Ron and Harry, “Oops. Someone doesn’t like being reminded that he’s Joe Average when it comes down to the teenage hormone wire.” She looked between her boyfriend and the plate of meat and then shrugged, “Screw it, I was hungry.” She smirked at Connor as he glared over his shoulder at her, “Do you think there’s any bread? I could really go for this in a sandwich. With mustard and ketchup.”

Hermione opened her mouth to reply and then frowned suddenly as she caught a flash of red by the doors of the hall, “What’s that?”

Dawn stared into the gloom and then hopped off the table, “Connor?”

Connor sniffed, “Its Ron’s sister. She’s been there all along.” He turned slightly as Dawn came up beside him, pointedly keeping his back to her, “Which you’d have know if you were paying more attention to your surroundings instead of playing childish games.”

Ron scowled and threw up his hands in disgust, “For Merlin’s sake, I told her to go straight to the dorm and to stay there.” He stomped to the edge of the platform and jumped off to storm up the main aisle, black robes billowing like an angry cloud behind him, “This is exactly how she got hurt last time!”

Harry exchanged looks with Hermione and muttered with a grin, “Except for the hoards of insane, dark wizards and their familiars, of course.”

Hermione rolled her eyes as she watched Ron reach Ginny and grip her arm angrily to jerk her up on her toes as he began to speak furiously to her, “Obviously. Goes with out saying.” She winced as Ron’s voice rose as Ginny shook her head mutinously, “Oh dear, I think he’s going to blow. Harry, we’d better do something.”

Harry shook his head, “Oh no. I like Ginny just as much as you do, but I am not getting in the middle of that.” He shook his head again as Hermione glared at him and folded his arms across his chest for emphasis, “No. No way.”

“Coward.”

Harry nodded firmly at the mocking hiss, “Absolutely. Ron’s my best friend and I am not going to risk falling out with him over this. You know how long it takes him to come out of a sulk, Hermione.” The sentence finished on a pleading note, which apparently cut no ice with Hermione. Harry shrugged as her glare intensified and employed the Connor method of dealing with issues. He turned to face the opposite direction and determinedly ignored them.

“Fine, just fine.” Hermione glared at his back for a moment and then swung to face Dawn, “Dawn, get your sausage.”

Dawn choked back a giggle as Hermione hopped off the platform and began to walk quickly towards the two arguing siblings, “Right behind you, sweetie.”

Connor turned in a blur of speed and fury, “The hell you are!” He grabbed Dawn’s arm before she could make it to the table, “You are not pulling that crap on Ron.”

Dawn looked pointedly at his hand, “Excuse me? When exactly did you pick up the title ‘boss-of-me’?” She tossed her hair back over her shoulder and glared at him defiantly, “And I thought you weren’t speaking to me, Sulko Boy.”

Connor’s eyes narrowed warningly, “I was not sulking.” His nostrils flared with annoyance as Dawn snorted mockingly, “I do not sulk. I was treating your stupid little display with the contempt it deserved.

”My ass!” Dawn stepped forward until she was toe to toe with Connor and lifted her chin, “I sucker punched you and you can’t stand losing. You were sulking your butt off, mister.”

“Better than acting like a…”

Dawn’s finger poked him smartly in the chest, “Don’t even think about finishing that sentence, pal.”

Harry edged up beside them, “Er…Dawn, Connor…” He smiled uneasily as both furious faces whipped round to face him, “Maybe this isn’t the best time for this discussion.” His eyes flicked to the side and indicated the now silent teachers who stood watching them, “Just a thought.”

Dawn and Connor switched their glares from Harry to the assembled faculty and then stepped back from each other slowly. Dawn tugged her arm from Connor’s grip, “This is not over.”

Connor folded his arms across his chest and gave his best impersonation of Angel in full glower mode, “Damn straight.”

Unfortunately ‘the look’ was water off a duck’s back to a girl who had grown up in a house with slayers, witches and vampires and Dawn snorted with derision before stomping back to her seat on the table. Connor scowled and opened his mouth and then switched his attention to Dumbledore as the elderly professor joined them, “Well, have you found out what the problem is yet?”

Dumbledore smiled happily, “Oh yes, indeed. Fascinating, quite fascinating, I must say.” He peered towards Ron, Hermione and Ginny who were now engaged in a heated three-way argument, “Perhaps if your friends will join us, I might be allowed to explain.” He chuckled, “When they’re quite ready of course.”

Harry sighed in doomed resignation, “I’ll get them.” He looked at Connor mournfully, “If I don’t make it back alive, tell Mrs Weasley that I did my best.”

Connor was surprised into a smile, “Got it.” He waited until Harry hopped off the platform and then turned to say in a low voice to Dumbledore, “Just so we’re clear, I don’t care what your thing says, I’m not leaving Dawn here unprotected. If you even think about making me leave, I’ll level this place to the ground.”

Professor Dumbledore looked unconcerned at the low, menacing threat and replied mildly, “I was rather under the impression that I ran this school.”

Connor raised one eyebrow, “The school, yes. Dawn and I, no.” He stepped closer to the old man, “There’s a reason they call me the Destroyer.”

Blue eyes twinkled down at him, “Whilst you are students here, you fall under my authority and protection, Mr Angel.”

Connor squared his shoulders and said firmly, “Only as long I allow it.” His eyes narrowed, “We play by your rules as long as it allows me to keep Dawn safe, the second that changes, all bets are off. Clear?” He stepped back as Harry approached with the other three in tow, still arguing furiously, and finished, “I don’t want to have to have this discussion again.”

The professor watched him for a moment and said inscrutably, “I quite agree.”

He clasped his hands behind his back and rocked delightedly on his heels, “I must say, you really are a breath of fresh air around here. I can see this term is shaping up to be quite a lively one, yes indeed.” The smile turned on the group of Hogwarts students that weren’t threatening to dismantle the school, and himself, piece by piece, “All ready? Marvellous. Perhaps you’d like to join myself and the staff whilst we consider the unexpected situation we find ourselves in?”

Ron flushed suddenly under the eyes of his headmaster, “Sorry, sir.” He glared at Ginny, “This isn’t over.”

Before Ginny could reply, Dawn joined them, “Yeah, yeah.” She glared at Connor, “There’s a lot of that going around. Care to join the winning team, ladies?” Ron’s mouth opened and closed in speechless fury as Ginny and Hermione both sent him one final glare and joined Dawn to stare defiantly at the three boys. Finally Ron was able to force his words out past the ball of anger in his throat and he spat at Harry, “Barking, the lot of them. Barking mad, I tell you.”

Harry grunted noncommittally and stood by Connor and Ron as they glared back at the three unimpressed girls. Dumbledore nodded, “Wonderful. Professors, if you please?” The teaching staff grouped themselves around the headmaster as he looked at the six tense teens, “We’ve managed to calm the Sorting Hat down and extract an explanation for its behaviour.”

Dawn eyed Connor grimly, “I think I could hazard my own guess at that.”

Connor met her eyes for a moment and then looked back at Dumbledore as the professor continued, “It seems we failed to take in to account the sheer potency of Miss Summers’ presence.”

“Hold up, I didn’t do anything!” Dawn glared at the old man.

Connor smirked, “That’s going to end up on her gravestone.” His voice went up to a mocking falsetto squeal, “It wasn’t my fault, I didn’t do it!”

Dawn scowled at her boyfriend and held up a hand, two fingers nearly touching, “You are this close, bud…”

Professor Dumbledore interrupted quickly, “I don’t believe I said it was deliberate.” He waited until he had their full attention again and then nodded at the hat, which seemed to be squatting at the far end of the long table, watching them all sullenly, “The hat reads people for magical potential, for their strengths and weaknesses, and when it touched Miss Summers’ mind…well, I believe the closest analogy would be to liken it to drowning.” He clapped his hands together and beamed proudly at Dawn as though she’d just scored an A in her NEWTS, rather than scared the living essence out of a millennia old magical artefact,

“The shock of finding itself touching pure magical energy rather than the faint echoes of magical potential was overwhelming to say the least.”

Ron stared at Dawn in awe, “Whoa.”

Harry nodded, “Seconded.”

Dawn blinked and began to look worried, “Wait, I don’t think…I…” She stared helplessly at Connor and her face fell despondently, “Freaks really are us, huh?”

Connor moved towards her, all animosity forgotten, and put his arm around her shoulders, “What difference does it make?” He tipped her face up to his and looked into her wide, green eyes, “We knew how powerful you are.” He smiled and brushed his hand over her cheek lightly, “This just confirms everything we thought we knew, you’re still the same person.”

Dawn smiled shakily, “Yeah, but knowing it and then…knowing it.” She shrugged, “It’s just big, you know?”

Hermione frowned in sudden thought as Connor gave Dawn a reassuring hug, “So what happens now? If the Sorting Hat can’t sort her, what’s going to happen? You have to be sorted into a house, everyone knows that..” Ron and Harry frowned and then looked at the group of teachers as Hermione continued slowly, “If you aren’t in a house then you can’t go to lessons and if you can’t go to lessons then you can’t go to Hogwarts.” Her face paled suddenly, “Professor Dumbledore, you can’t send them away, you just can’t!”

Dawn raised her face from Connor’s shoulder and met his eyes blankly. On the one hand the decision had been made to come to Hogwarts for not only theirs and their families protection, but the protection of the world, but on the other hand…Oh, on the other hand, they could return to their homes, their lives, and face down whatever threatened them at the sides of people who they knew and loved. Connor watched the guilty hope swim into Dawn’s face and smiled faintly, “Whatever happens, we’ll be together, that’s all that matters.” Dawn smiled at him and then turned her head to look at Professor Dumbledore as he held up his hands to stop Hermione’s impassioned plea.

“I have no intention of sending them away, Miss Granger, I assure you, but the situation must be considered carefully before any decisions can be made.” He looked at the professors around him, “Whatever happens, we must all take unprecedented steps to accommodate Miss Summers’ and Mr Angel’s special requirements.”

Harry shifted slightly, “What steps, Professor?” He ignored the sneer that Snape send him behind Dumbledore’s back and continued, “What’s going to happen to them?”

Dumbledore shook his head, “I really couldn’t say, Harry, but I imagine the first thing we need to do is find them somewhere to sleep tonight. Obviously they cannot stay in any of the house dormitories under the circumstances.” He smiled at the four Gryffindors, “But that of course is none of your concern. I suggest you all retire to your dormitory and I’m sure that you occasionally see your young friends around the school grounds.”

“Wait just a bloody minute…”

“Weasley!”

Ron glanced at the furious face of Professor McGonagall, “Sorry, Professor, but you’re not seriously saying that we won’t be with Connor and Dawn anymore?”

Professor Dumbledore gave Ron a confused smile, “Well, I wouldn’t have thought so, Ron. You’re Gryffindors and Dawn and Connor cannot be part of the usual school activities if they don’t belong to a house.” His blue eyes rested on Harry for a moment and then he finished, “I really don’t see any way around the situation at the moment, I’m afraid.”

Harry stared at the silver-haired man for a moment and then focused on Dawn and Connor watching the group of wizards with wary eyes. A tingling was starting in his fingers and spreading slowly through his body and he knew, deep in his bones, that something was happening. He looked at Hermione and Ginny as they stood watching Dawn and Connor anxiously and his scar began to itch as his eyes moved to Ron. The taller boy looked unhappily at him, “Harry…”

Harry’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Professor Dumbledore and he said, “Can I have a moment with Ron and Hermione, please sir?”

Dumbledore cut off the murmur from the teachers behind him with a quick gesture, “Of course, Harry.” He gave the young man an unreadable look, “Take as long as you need.”

Harry nodded and dragged Ron and Hermione to the far corner of the stage, out of range of the others. He smiled apologetically at Ginny and then huddled together with his two best friends, “I have an idea, but I don’t think I can do it with out you.”

Ron said dryly, “When can you ever?” as Hermione gave Harry a worried, suspicious look.

“Never.” Harry flashed a grin, “Hopefully I won’t this time either.” The grin melted from his face and he said soberly, “It’ll mean a big sacrifice and I don’t know how to explain that it’s the right decision except that I just know.” He gestured helplessly with his hands as he groped for words, “Its like being back in that hut with Hagrid and the Durselys and deciding to go with him, I know this is what I have to do, everything in the past few years has led up to this and Dawn and Connor.”

Hermione looked at Ron for a long moment and then squeezed Harry’s hand tightly, “I’m with you, Harry. Whatever your plan is, I’m in.”

Harry squeezed her fingers tightly and then looked at Ron. His best friend nodded, “Me too.” He flashed a weak grin; “Mum would never forgive me if I abandoned you now.”

Harry took a deep breath and looked unhappily at his two best friends, “Let’s hope she forgives me. I think Dumbledore was trying to tell us something when he kept mentioning the houses and I don’t think it’s just because it might cause problems with lessons. I think he was trying to tell us that we have to stay with them, that somehow it’s vital that we stay with them.”

Hermione glanced back over her shoulder at the professors and met Dumbledore’s intense look as he watched them talk, “I think you might be right.

So, what’s your idea?”

Harry swallowed again, “It was when he mentioned us being Gryffindors that I realised we might have another option.”

Ron jerked back suddenly as appalled realisation flooded his face, “You aren’t serious?” He stared wildly between Harry, Professor Dumbledore and the watching Dawn and Connor, “Merlin, Harry, tell me you’re joking?”

Harry shook his head, “No, I think he wants us to leave Gryffindor.”

Hermione licked suddenly dry lips and nodded slowly, “Yes. I think he does.” She caught Ron’s arm in a firm grip and said earnestly, “Don’t you see, Ron? All that talk about houses was trying to tell us something.” She looked back at the Professor once again and then up into Ron’s shocked eyes, “He wants us to form a new house, one with Dawn and Connor, they’ll stay at school and we’ll be with them to prepare for whatever’s coming.” Her already pale face drained of all colour as she said urgently, “It’s the only way; we have to leave Gryffindor.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


Dawn nudged Connor in the ribs, “What’s going on?” She watched as Ron bent to whisper furiously to his two friends and Harry and Hermione hissed urgently back, “Trouble?”

“I don’t know.” Connor frowned in confusion, “Maybe. They’re talking about the houses still.” His eyebrows rose as a particularly choice expression fell from Ron’s angry mouth, “Never heard that one before.”

“What? What’d he say?” Dawn looked interested, “What’d he say?”

Connor winced as Hermione came back with an uncharacteristically crude rejoinder, “And I don’t think that’s anatomically possible.” He grinned down at his girlfriend as she desperately craned her neck towards the three friends, “And I really don’t think you should be hearing that kind of language.”

“Please, I live with Spike, remember? You hang around after he gets stuck with a load of poisoned darts from a Donanculas demon, and there isn’t a lot you haven’t heard.” Dawn hurriedly schooled her face into one of innocent denial as Harry, Ron and Hermione stopped talking and then nodded firmly to each other. “Heads up, they’re coming back.”

Harry jerked his head when he passed them on his way back to Professor Dumbledore, “You need to hear this.” Connor and Dawn fell into step behind Hermione and Ron as they passed by and Hermione gave them a reassuring smile.

Harry stopped before the headmaster, “Sir, we may have a solution to the problem.”

Dumbledore nodded gravely, “Yes, Harry? Any thoughts you may have will be welcomed.”

Harry glanced back at Hermione and Ron and smiled gratefully as they both gave him firm nods. Hermione’s hand crept into Ron’s as Harry turned back to face the teachers. Ron jumped slightly and then smiled down at her reassuringly as he squeezed her cold hand in his.

“We…” Harry’s voice faltered for a moment and then he clenched his fists in the folds of his robes and said firmly, “We’d like to have your permission to leave our house and remain with Connor and Dawn, sir.” He stared into Dumbledore’s eyes as furious protests burst out all around them and continued, “We think it’s the only practical solution.”

Professor Snape elbowed past the much smaller Professor Flitwick and said angrily, “You aren’t seriously going to permit this, headmaster? Its bad enough to allow Potter and his followers carte blanch with school rules, but to permit this…this…”

Dumbledore held up a hand as words actually failed the gaunt man, “I don’t think Harry has finished, Severus. Harry?”

Harry avoided Professor McGonagall’s shocked face and gave a weak smile as the headmaster nodded encouragingly at him, “We aren’t suggesting that we be allowed to remain houseless. We thought…that is…”

Ron tugged on Hermione’s hand and pulled her with him until they stood shoulder to shoulder with their friend, “There’s no rule that says that there can only be four houses at Hogwarts, sir. It’s tradition, nothing more.” He tilted his chin defiantly as Snape snarled at him, “If you allowed it we could form our own house. A new house.”

Professor Dumbledore cocked his head to one side thoughtfully, “Have you considered all the implications, Harry? You will be able to remain a prefect, every house must have them after all, but you will lose your place on the Gryffindor team as seeker and captain.” Harry nodded jerkily as he continued, “It is likely some of your friends will not be understanding about your decision. You may encounter more problems than you realise.”

Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione, “We know what we’re doing, sir.”

Snape’s fingers cut through the air like angry knives, “Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.” He sneered, “You don’t even have enough to make a Quidditch team.”

All eyes turned as Ginny stepped up beside Hermione, “Nearly.” She squared her shoulders and looked the headmaster in the eye; “I’m requesting permission to join them if they go, sir.”

Ron flinched as though he’d been struck, “Ginny, don’t be stupid, you can’t do this.” He let go of Hermione’s hand to step in front of his sister and grip her shoulders, “You don’t know what you’re saying.” His voice lowered to a pleading whisper, “It’s dangerous. We aren’t just doing this out of the goodness of our hearts, we have to!”

Ginny nodded and her hair swung away from her face, revealing her scar as she stared into her brother’s eyes, “I know.”

Ron shook her furiously, “I won’t let you do this.”

A slow smile bloomed over Ginny’s face, “You don’t get a choice.” She twisted in his grip and stepped around him to look once more at Dumbledore, “I want to go with them, sir.”

Professor McGonagall clutched at the headmaster’s arm, “Albus, you can’t seriously be considering this madness? I won’t allow it.”

“Minerva, I value your opinion above all others, but I think in this you are wrong.” Professor Dumbledore patted his deputy lightly on her hand and nodded to the four Gryffindors, “You are resolved in this? It is a great deal to sacrifice for near strangers.”

“It’s the right thing to do, Professor.” Hermione slipped a hand into Ginny’s and smiled at her, “The only thing to do.”

Over the overwhelmingly loud protests from the faculty, Dumbledore nodded, “Very well. As of this moment you are no longer Gryffindor. All rights and privileges of that house are forfeit to you and you may no longer wear their colours.” He held out his hand, “If you please, children.”

Slowly, Harry reached up and fastened his hand over the Gryffindor badge sewn over the heart of his robes. He clenched his fingers and then with a sharp tug, severed the ties of the last six years. He held out his hand and dropped the scrap of material into the headmaster’s palm. Ron, Hermione and Ginny followed suit, until they stood staring blankly at the professor’s hand and all that had defined them at their time at Hogwarts. Long fingers closed around the badges and whisked them into the depths of the headmaster’s robes. Professor Dumbledore smiled proudly at the four heartsick faces before him, “Well done. Oh, well done.”

  
  



	8. Chapter Eight

Dawn stared at the dark wooden door as it closed gently behind Professor Dumbledore and then whirled on the four dazed ex-Gryffindors, “And again, and I really don’t think I can stress enough the importance of this question…What the HELL did you guys think you were doing?” She threw up her hands in enraged disbelief, “Not that we don’t appreciate the gesture, but what the freakin’ hell are you playing at?”

Dawn spun on her heel and strode across the room furiously, smacking irritably at the heavy, purple curtains hanging before the windows, “I can’t believe you guys just did that.”

She looked at the four British teens as they sank in unison on a large squashy sofa and stared blankly before them at the floor of their new common room. Their, as yet unnamed, common room. Base of their, as yet unnamed, new house.

Just an hour before they had been Gryffindors, pride of their house and the school, and now they were four people without identities and not so much as a clue between them about where to go from here. Dawn sagged onto the arm of a soft, deep chair, “It may not be too late. We could go to Professor Dumbledore and tell him you made a mistake.” Her face and voice was filled with guilt and sympathy at her new friends’ predicament, “Guys, we can fix this.”

Surprisingly it was Ron, the most vocal resister of Harry’s plan, who raised his white face and said firmly, “No. We’ve made our decision.” He swallowed, “There’s no going back now.”

“There is.” Dawn sprang to her feet once more to pace restlessly round the room, “This isn’t like having your head cut off or something, you can go back. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“Actually, you can go back from that.” Connor pushed away from the wall where he leant in the shadows and moved into the light in the middle of the room.

Dawn paused in her pacing and even the miserable four on the sofa looked up in reluctant curiosity, “What?”

“You can come back from a beheading.” Connor shrugged, “What? My Uncle Lorne’s had his head cut off three times and he’s still walking around.” He looked thoughtfully into the flickering fire in the grate, “Well, it took him a while to recover last time, but we think that was because that chaos demon ran off with his head and they were using it as a soccer ball for a couple of days before we found them again.”

  
  
  


He waved a reassuring hand through at five speechless, and slightly nauseous, faces, “Oh don’t worry, he was fine. Just had a tendency to wander round in circles for a few days and fall over when you didn’t expect it.” A grin flickered across his face, “Not great when you’re running across a rooftop to challenge a pride of Valurums and your backup falls ass over…” He stopped; at last aware that nobody else in the room appeared to be seeing the funny side of the story. There was a tense pause and then Connor coughed, “Sorry. Go on.”

“What?” Dawn shook her head to clear it of all the unpleasant images that were now crowding it thanks to Connor’s sharing of the slaying anecdotes, “I…uh…”

“You were saying that they could still change their minds.” Connor gestured helpfully towards Harry and the others, still staring at him with disbelief, “About the house thing. They could still go back, and then I said…”

Dawn held up a slightly panicked, defensive hand, “I remember, I remember!” With a last shudder and disbelieving look at her boyfriend she turned back to the others, “The point is that this doesn’t need to be final.”

Hermione frowned in thought, “No. I think it does. Unless the headmaster wanted this to happen there’s no way he would have allowed it.” She shrugged as Dawn threw her hands up in the air again and resumed her angry stomping around the room; “He’s turned a thousand years of tradition on its head in just one night to allow us to remain together.” She pushed back the heavy weight of her bushy hair and cupped her chin in her hand as her brain started to function again and she began to work through the problem in her mind, “There’s only ever been four houses at Hogwarts, named after the founders of the school and whatever talents the especial founder of each house prized above all others.” Her finger tapped against her cheek, “For instance, Godric Gryffindor’s most valued talents or traits were bravery and loyalty.” She wrinkled her nose as she stared at the floor, “I just can’t see why the professor wanted this to happen.”

Harry leaned his head back against the sofa back and tried to ignore the greasy sickness in his stomach as he thought of the cosy, familiar Gryffindor common room and his familiar room and bed in his dorm, “What do you mean?” He gestured to the silent Connor and distressed Dawn, “He wanted us to be with them.”

Hermione stood up and shrugged off her outer robes, revealing her grey school uniform underneath. She walked to a small writing desk standing to one side of the curtained windows and rummaged until she found a quill and some parchment. Unrolling the parchment, she hooked a foot around the leg of a the desk chair and pulled it out to drop onto it and spread the parchment out on the desk and begin to list in a small, tidy hand their names in a neat column. “No, there’s something else.” Her tongue poked from the side of her mouth as she stared down at the names in concentration, and gave Ron and brief happy moment before the crushing weight of his unhappiness flooded back over him.

“If all he wanted was for us to be together then he would have just ignored what happened with the hat and just put them in Gryffindor with us.” The quill tapped against Hermione’s lip, “He wanted us with them, but he wanted us alone with them.” Much happier now she was working through a problem and could concentrate on something other than their new predicament Hermione looked at Harry and Ron with bright eyes, “That’s it. He wanted us to be alone with them!”

Ron eyed Dawn and Connor and they eyed him right back, “Why? That doesn’t make any sense.”

Connor shifted, “He’s getting us ready.” Five faces stared expectantly at him and he sighed in annoyance, “It’s obvious if you think about it.” Walking to stand before the fireplace he placed his hands behind his back and said firmly, “He’s marshalling his forces against what-his-name.”

Harry, Ron and Hermione rolled their eyes and said in unison, “Voldemort.”

“Exactly. Him.” Connor nodded in agreement, “Dumbledore’s making his move and he’s readying the key players.” He tapped himself on the chest and nodded towards Dawn, “We know why we’re here. Dawn’s got the power; here she can learn how to use it. I’m here because Voldemort knows we have a connection, and it’s possible he may want whatever power I have as well.” He pointed at Harry, “You were the first one to ever hurt him, nearly kill him, it’s obvious you have a role to play. Ron has been at your side in one way or another in practically every conflict you’ve ever had with him, particularly the one a few months ago.”

Connor smiled coldly, “The power you two have together floods from you in waves and you know how to use it. You work well together and there doesn’t seem to be any questions of trust or loyalty between you and that’s a powerful weapon on its own.” His attention moved to Hermione, “You’ve not only got the magical power you have the intelligence to wield it and direct the use of our powers as well. You’ve proved you’re strong, mentally and physically, and you’ve stood against Voldemort on your own and you haven’t broken. Again, power.”

Ginny tensed as the dark blue eyes moved onto her, “Ginny’s strong, talented and she’s survived attacks by his followers.” Connor smiled warmly at her, “She’s brave, loyal and she knows how to pick the winning side, which also makes her clever.” Connor looked apologetic for a moment, “She obviously has a role to play, otherwise she wouldn’t be allowed to be here, but I don’t know what it is yet. She hasn’t faced off against the head guy, she hasn’t had anywhere near the experience of dark magic that you guys have and she hasn’t got an overt connection with anything that’s been happening other than her natural bond with Ron.”

Hermione clicked her fingers excitedly, “Not true.” She hooked an arm over the back of her chair and raised her eyebrows at Ginny as though asking for permission for something. Ginny hesitated and then nodded slowly. “She does have a connection with Voldemort. In our second year, and Gin’s first, she was possessed by the spirit of the teenaged Dark Lord and nearly died as he tried to drain her essence.” A strand of brown hair was rudely shoved behind her ear as Hermione continued, “We’ve got someone that’s intimately familiar with the workings of Voldemort’s mind and how he thinks.”

Connor gave a pleased grin, “That’s it then. Dumbledore’s collected us together because he knows between us we have everything we need to defeat this guy once and for all.” He raised a hand and ticked off points on his fingers, “Knowledge, power, courage, strength, intelligence…” He paused for a moment and then looked around him, “The only thing we don’t all have for each other is trust. That’s why we’re here.” He held at a hand for Dawn and smiled as she came to his side and slipped her hand into his, “Dawn and I are used to working together and we trust each other with our lives. The same goes for you guys.” He squeezed Dawn’s hand in his tightly, “We’re here because without trust between us all the power we have is useless. He wants us to become a team.”

Harry raised his head from the back of the sofa, “Don’t be stupid. Of course we trust you, we wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

“Oh yeah?” Dawn looked around her pointedly, “Who here would have trusted Connor to throw them earlier in the hall?” Silence was her answer, Dawn nodded, “See?”

“But we don’t know him like you d…” Ron’s voice trailed off.

“Exactly.” Dawn smiled triumphantly, “Just like I wouldn’t trust any of you to get my back if we got in a fight.” She shrugged apologetically, “I know you’d try, but I know Connor would.”

Hermione nodded slowly, “It makes a certain kind of sense.”

Ron curled his lip, “If you’re a batty old wizard with more hair than sanity.”

Harry gave a half-hearted grin at his friend’s words, “I think they’ve got it. Remember our first year and what happened with Quirrell? He gave us just enough information to allow us to work it out for ourselves because he thought I had the right to face down Voldemort if I could.” He sat forward and dangled his hands between his spread thighs as he stared at the floor, “He’s given us this because it’s just enough to give us what we need when Voldemort comes for us again.” His head came up and he said morosely, “When the school’s told what happened in the morning I don’t reckon more than a few people and the teachers will be speaking to us. We’ll be literally all we have.”

Dawn rubbed a tired hand over her face, “Oh God, I’m so sorry.”

Connor tugged her close and looped an arm around her waist, “I don’t get it. What’s the big deal about changing houses anyway? It’s just a name and a place to sleep.”

  
  


Ron stared at Connor, dumbstruck, “What?” He got to his feet and flushed to the roots of his carrot coloured hair, “It’s a hell of a lot more than that, Yank.” He tugged at the front of his robe where his house badge had been just hours before, “Being a Gryffindor was more than just a name. Every member of my family for the last twelve generations has been in that house. Every member. The closest friends of my parents and their parents were in Gryffindor. I’ve spent more time with the people in that house in the last six years than the members of my own family. We share everything, not just a name!” He broke off gasping for air, glaring furiously at Connor and ignoring Hermione and Ginny’s white faces and Harry’s restraining hand on his arm.

“Where were they before?”

Ron blinked, “What?”

“Your family. What house were they in before? You said it’s only been for the last twelve generations that they’ve been in Gryffindor, so where were they before?” Connor cocked his head to one side and looked expectantly at Ron.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Ron shook his head in confusion and stared blankly at Connor.

“Well, for a start, it says to me that things change. And rather than waiting for fate to change things this time around, you went out and changed them.” Connor squeezed Dawn to him and gave a small smile, “When your family were first sorted into Gryffindor do you imagine they were any more pleased about it then than you are now?”

Ron’s mouth opened and closed as he digested Connor’s words and then his mouth just hung open as Ginny said quietly, “Slytherin.” Every pair of eyes in the room swung towards her as she stuck out her chin and repeated firmly, “It was Slytherin. Nineteen generations of Weasleys were in Slytherin before Herbert Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor. And Mum’s family were Slytherins for over a hundred years before they had the last fifteen generations in Gryffindor.”

Hermione gasped, “No. Ginny, you aren’t serious?” She looked at the grey-faced Ron, “You’re just winding us up, aren’t you?”

Ginny shook her head, sending her red hair dancing around her face, “No. Where do you think George and Fred get it from? The plans, the schemes, the deviousness? Why do you think it was so easy for Voldemort, Tom Riddle, whatever, to reach me? We carry Slytherin blood.” She smiled nervously, “After the possession, I had to know why. Why me? What about me made it so easy for him?” Her hands twisted together nervously as she explained, “I spent every spare minute I had in the Library when I came back for my second year looking into possessions and stuff, and then one day I ran into Professor Dumbledore in there and he made a few suggestions that set me looking at our family tree.”

Ginny shrugged, “We go all the way back to the time of the founders and at one time or another people we’ve shared our bloodline and heritage with have been in all four houses.” She looked at Harry; “It’s the same with the Potters, Harry. Your line goes back to the time of the founders as well and your ancestors have roots in all four houses the same as ours do.” She looked around her at the deathly silent room, “But the most predominant houses in both our histories are Slytherin and Gryffindor, we’ve links to Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, but our roots, most of what we are comes from the other two.”

Ron staggered back until his legs hit the sofa and he fell in a boneless sprawl, “Oh God, I feel sick.” He turned an anguished face up to Harry, “Remember the slugs?”

Harry nodded, Ron rubbed an unhappy hand over his gut, “This is worse.”

Dawn looked at Ginny; “You researched three separate families back a thousand years by yourself?”

Ginny nodded, “Yes. Although with the various off shoots I could track it was more like seventeen.”

“We’ve found our research girl.” Dawn nudged Connor and both Americans beamed happily at the small redhead as Dawn continued, “You have no idea how much we suck at research.”

“I’m a Slytherin?” Ron was still focused on the most upsetting aspect of the night so far, “Me? A Slytherin?” He looked imploringly at Harry, “Please tell me we’re still in the Cauldron pissed on muggle beer.”

“I wish.” Harry looked gloomily at Ginny, “Are you sure about this?”

Ginny nodded, “Oh yes. There’s no mistake.”

Ron folded in on himself and moaned dramatically, “This is it. The end. I’ve left Gryffindor and now I’m a bloody Slytherin.” He buried his face in hands and mumbled, “Just call Voldy and let him put me out of my misery now.”

Despite the recent unwelcome revelations Hermione felt her mouth twitch in unwitting amusement at Ron’s distress, “Oh come on, Ron, it’s not that bad.”

“That’s what you think. You’re alright, the worst anyone can call you is mudblood.” Ron scrubbed his hands through his hair, “If this gets out everyone will know I’m a bloody Snakehead.” His head shot up in horror as another thought occurred to him, “Merlin! I’m just like Malfoy!” He clutched at Harry’s robes, “Put the death curse on me, mate.” He let go to pat at his robe pockets, “I’ll write a note before you do it and tell the Ministry I asked you to. It’ll be like that…what to you call it…euphemism?”

“Euthanasia.” Hermione grinned in open amusement at Ron now.

“That’s right, euthanasia.” Ron nodded frantically, “No one would blame you, mate. It’d be for my own good.”

“Only if you do me first.” Harry brushed at Ron’s freshly clutching hands, “Bloody hell, this is worse than everyone thinking that I was Slytherin’s heir.” He had his own horrifying thought, “Oh God, what if Dumbledore got it wrong when he thought it was just because of Voldemort attacking me and I really am the bloody heir?”

Hermione blinked, startled, “Good grief, I hadn’t thought of that.” She eyed Harry and then turned to Ginny, “I suppose it could be possible, couldn’t it?”

Ginny nodded warily, “I suppose, but I don’t think that Professor Dumbledore would have told Harry what he did if he thought there was chance he could be an heir for real.” She paused and then finished hesitantly, “Would he?”

Harry sank down beside Ron, “Oh Merlin.”

Dawn broke into the conversation, “And for those of us just tuning in…?” She sighed as everyone stared at her in bewilderment, “That’s American for ‘what?’”

Hermione shook herself, “Oh, sorry. When Gin got possessed there was this big thing with something called the Chamber of Secrets and a basilisk. That’s a giant…”

“Snake.” Connor nodded at his companions as they looked at him, “Met one once.”

“You met one?” Ron stared at the other boy’s cool statement.

Connor shrugged, “Well, I say met, killed might be a better description.” He shrugged, “Anyway, sorry, go on.”

Hermione glanced at Dawn and said faintly, “Does he do that a lot?”

“Kill things or interrupt conversations with upsetting anecdotes?” Dawn grinned lovingly at Connor, “The answer to both would be an emphatic, yes.” She rose on tiptoes to kiss his cheek affectionately, “You get used to it.”

“Oh good.” Hermione forced her eyes away from Connor’s unrepentant smirk and tried to think where she’d left off, “As I was saying, there was a chamber under the school and the Basilisk was…”

“You killed a basilisk?” Harry’s mouth was hanging open in shock, “Really?”

Connor grinned, “Oh yeah. I was when I lived with my first father and one migrated nearby.” His eyes unfocused as he stared into the middle distance, “He sent me out one morning and it took me most of the day, but I finally managed to cut its head off and haul it home.”

“You took it home with you?” It was hard to decide who looked more horrified, Harry or Ron.

“Well, yeah, there’s good eating on one of those things.” Connor looked surprised as his audience rapidly turned various shades of green, “What? You don’t think I left it just sitting there for the other scavengers, do you?”

“Oh Merlin.” Ron clutched his stomach, “You ate a basilisk.”

Dawn patted Connor’s arm weakly, “Too much information, honey.” Although more used to her friends and family eating weird and wonderful things she still found her stomach churning at the thought of Connor sitting down to a chunk of giant snake demon. She tried to smile, “Don’t tell me, tasted like chicken, yeah?”

“Not really.” Connor ran a tongue around the inside of his mouth as he remembered, “More like really salty pork.” He smacked his lips, “We had a few good meals off that thing, I can tell you.” He eyed the nauseous faces surrounding him and said defensively, “What’s the matter? I was a growing boy, I needed the protein.”

Ginny looked nervous but decided to ask anyway, “How old were you?”

“Um…six or seven I think.” Connor waved a negligent hand in the air at waist height, “About this high, anyway.”

“Oh God.” Dawn’s eyes filled with tears at the thought of a tiny Connor being sent out by his stepfather to slaughter a demon who knew how many times his size, “Oh God.” She clasped a hand to her mouth, “Connor…”

“Dawn, what’s wrong?” Connor pulled her into his arms in alarm and squeezed her tightly against him, “Baby, what is it?”

Tears trickled down Dawn’s cheeks as she wrapped her arms around her love and her heart broke as she realised he really didn’t see just how wrong the story he had told was. “Connor, you were just a baby.”

“I was not!” Connor stared in outrage at the top of her head as she cried against him. “I was never a baby!” He thought for a moment and then allowed, “Except for when I was of course, but I was hunting alone by the time I was three.” He looked panicked as she began to sob in earnest, “What?” Looking at Hermione and Ginny for help proved fruitless as both girls stood staring at him with tears shimmering in their own eyes, “Don’t you two start!” Connor gestured frantically at Ron and Harry, “Make them stop!”

“Six or seven?” Harry ignored Connor’s emphatic hand signals and whispered again, “You were six or seven?”

“Yes! Go make them stop!” Connor’s eyes were wide with panic that in a way that was never seen when he faced down bloodthirsty fiends, “Now! Make them stop now! Dawn, honey, I’m sorry, please stop crying.”

Ron nudged Harry with a shaking arm, “Makes you look a bit shabby, doesn’t it?” He grinned weakly; “You need to get more of a jump on these things apparently.” He nodded sagely at Connor; “He only managed to kill our one when he was twelve.” Ron got up to cross to Ginny and Hermione as Connor glared at him, tossing back over his shoulder, “Pansy.”

It was Connor’s turn to stare, “You killed a basilisk?”

Harry flushed under the incredulous look, “Yes.” He added hurriedly, “And before you ask, no I didn’t eat it!”

Connor patted Dawn’s shaking back, “Did I say anything?”

Ron rolled his eyes, grinning as he nodded his head down at Hermione and Ginny as he held one in each arm against his chest and then at the crying Dawn, “You really have to ask?”

Connor sighed as he looked down at his distressed girlfriend, “I’m always doing this.”

“Making women cry?”

Connor scowled at Ron’s laughing enquiry, then nodded with a hang dog expression on his face, “I tell a story about when I was growing up and then the next thing I know I’m knee deep in tissues and tears.” His face darkened, “Sometimes even my dad joins in.”

Dawn raised her sodden face and punched his shoulder, “Of course he does, you dork.” Her face worked as fresh tears welled up, “It’s so saaaad…”

Connor winced as she trailed off in a wail and her head hit his shoulder again, “Dawn, honey…”

Harry held up a hand, “Connor, please, I’m begging you, in the name of all that’s magical or holy don’t say anything else!” He stood up and said firmly, “We’re all tired and overwrought…” Dawn sobbed loudly and Harry didn’t miss a beat as he continued, “Some more than others.” He jerked his head at Connor and Ron meaningfully; “I think we should hold off on any more explanations for tonight and have a look round our new quarters before we go to bed. What do you say?”

Ron looked annoyed as Ginny wiped her face stickily against his robes, “Good idea, mate. Do you two mind?” He eased back from the two snivelling girls and rolled his eyes in disgust, “Oh for…” He patted his pockets, “I’ve got a hanky in here somewhere.”

Connor pulled Dawn off him, and was vaguely surprised when there wasn’t a wet slurping sound to accompany the move, “That sounds good. What do you say, sweetie?” He took her heaving shoulders and silent, stricken expression as agreement, “Great. Let’s go shall we?” He caught hold of Dawn’s hand in his and dragged her after him as he made his way to Harry’s side, “Where to first?”

Harry eyed the three sodden girls, “Bathroom, I hope.”

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


In the end the first room they came to on the next level wasn’t the bathroom, but the girls’ bedroom helpfully labelled with a smiling picture of a witch and a bed on the ancient wooden door. Dawn turned in a slow circle in the beams of moonlight flooding through the window, “Wow.” She stared around her entranced, “This is amazing.”

Hermione knelt on the curved window seat and peered out into the Hogwarts grounds, “I know. This is wonderful.” She turned and gestured to the other two girls, “Come and look at this. You can see everything from up here.” She waited until Ginny drifted up beside her and pointed, “Look, there’s the Whomping Willow and there’s the lake…” She squealed and waved frantically, “There’s the lake monster!”

Ron grinned at her happy face and said dryly, “I don’t think it can see you, Hermione.”

“No, no, it’s waving at me, look! I can see its tentacles…Oh!” Hermione’s face fell abruptly.

Dawn joined the other two girls, “What?”

Fighting back giggles Ginny said; “It just grabbed a bird and dragged it under the water.” She avoided Hermione’s eyes and spluttered, “It was feeding.”

“Oh.” Dawn squeezed Hermione’s shoulder sympathetically, “It’s probably too late to save the bird but if you like Connor and I could go down tomorrow and slay it for you.”

“NO!” The three girls swung round in alarm as Ron stepped forward hurriedly, “There will be absolutely no killing of anything unless I say so, is that clear?”

Dawn looked hurt, “I was just saying…”

“There will be no killing of anything.” Ron put his hands on his hips and glared between Connor and Dawn, “That’s non-negotiable. We’re going to have enough problems without you two going round and indiscriminately slaughtering anything that moves.”

“We don’t do that.” Connor looked deeply offended, “They always attack us first.” He pointed at Hermione, “And she did say it was a monster. Ok, technically not a demon but definitely falling under our area of expertise, I’d say.”

“Always attack you first?” Harry joined Ron and grinned faintly, “Two words. Hagrid. Hermione.”

There was a short reflective silence.

“Ok, so not every time, but…” Dawn shut up as Ron pointed a firm finger at her.

“No. If there’s any doubt then check with me or the others, but otherwise no killing.” Connor opened his mouth and Ron cut him off sharply, “Or maiming. Or anything else that will end with groaning and/or unconscious bodies on the floor or blood on the walls.”

Dawn and Connor stared at each other in silence for a moment and then Dawn turned to Ron, “What about…”

“No!” Ron’s face flushed with angry exasperation, “No cursing people, no fists accidentally meeting flesh…” He glared at both of them and said with flat finality, “In fact, you know what, no touching of any person or thing with intent to harm at all.”

Harry and Hermione fought back laughs at the downcast expressions on Connor and Dawn’s faces. Ginny crossed to Dawn and squeezed her shoulder lightly, “It’s not so bad.” She smiled, “There’s hardly ever any reason to want to hurt someone at Hogwarts.” The attention of the room was switched to Ginny in disbelief and she flushed lightly, “Well, there isn’t.” The silence stretched uncomfortably, “Ok, maybe once a year.” Harry’s eyebrows rose pointedly, “Alright, once a term, then.”

  
Ron coughed into his hand, “Malfoy!”

Ginny glared at her brother, “He’s changed.”

“Right. I suppose he’s not still sneaky, cold-blooded, devious, unpleasant…”

Ginny hesitated, “Well, yes…”

“Exactly.” Ron looked smug and then hurriedly looked back at Dawn and Connor, “And I was joking on the train. He’s off-limits as well. Unfortunately.”

Hermione climbed off her window seat, “Anyway, I thought we were meant to having a look round our new house?” Her gaze moved approvingly around the girls’ bedroom, “I must say, this is a very nice.”

The room was round and four large four-poster beds were lined in a semi-circle around the wall furthest from the door. Heavy purple curtains hung against large windows that ran nearly the whole way around the room and under those, wide, cushioned window seats stretched invitingly, just begging to be sprawled upon at their leisure. Behind them the heavy oak door stood open and on either side two huge, oak wardrobes that matched the beside tables beside each bed stood waiting to be filled. A large soft rug was thrown over the stone floor, purple weave almost shimmering in the moonlight. Hermione turned in a slow circle and beamed, “Yes, this will do very nicely.”

Dawn threw herself backwards onto the nearest bed and grinned at the heavy curtains looping attractively from each of the four corners, “Not too shabby.” She sat up and pushed her hair back, “Let’s go see what else we can find.” She got back to her feet and grabbed Connor’s hand, “I want to see where you’ll be sleeping.”

They left the dorm and turned right, away from the spiralling stone stairs that had led them upstairs from the common room. The next door along revealed a large white bathroom, four baths stood with partitions between them and, to Dawn’s delight, shower attachments were fixed into the wall above each bath next to a small white sink. Opening two doors at the far end of the bathroom, they found a cupboard divided into four and stacked with white, fluffy towels already monogrammed with purple italics with each girl’s initials.

Hermione looked curiously at the bottom right hand pile of towels that were empty of monograms, then shrugged and looked back at the other three piles, “Professor Dumbledore works fast.”

Dawn touched the pile with her initials on them and hummed approvingly, “Doesn’t he though?” She walked back to the partitioned toilets and peeked inside the nearest one before giving a hoot of laughter, “I don’t believe it!”

The others joined her in staring into the stall and then broke down into laughter. Harry shook his head, “Only Dumbledore would monogram toilet paper.” He pointed at the tiny HG that adorned the bottom of each perforated sheet, “No one to blame but yourself if you run out now, Herm.”

Hermione grinned, “Unless someone sneaks in to steal it and decorate the statue of Salthazar Slytherin with it this Halloween. Again.”

“What do you mean by that?” Ron grinned mischievously and spun on his heel, “I don’t know what you’re trying to say, Hermione, but I’m deeply offended.”

Hermione grinned at his hurriedly retreating back, “Right, Ron.” The group followed the erstwhile head boy out of the room and continued their way along the dimly lit corridor, “Of course not.”

Harry smirked as Connor and Dawn grinned knowingly at him, “What?” He contrived to look innocent, “I don’t know what she’s talking about either.”

“Uh-huh.” Dawn patted him on the arm, “We believe you.”

Ron opened the next door along, poked his head inside and withdrew, “Our bathroom. Same as yours.” He closed the door and proceeded along the corridor looking mildly surprised, “That’s odd.” He opened the next door along, looked inside and then gestured to Harry, “Bloody hell.”

They hurried to catch up to him and then crowded in the doorway to peer inside at another bedroom. Dawn elbowed her way past Ron and looked around, “What? What’s the problem?” She eyed the room closely, “Looks just like ours.”

Hermione followed her into the room, closely followed by Ginny and Connor, “Yes, it does. I think the boys are surprised because we’re all on the same side.”

“That’s kind of a given, right?” Dawn shrugged in puzzlement, “That’s why we’re all here, after all.” She shot Ron and Harry a pitying look, “Try to keep up, guys.”

Ginny laughed, “No, Hermione means that the dormitories are on the same side.” She gestured in the general direction of their own room, “You know, in easy reach.”

Connor prodded a bed and nodded approvingly, “Good idea. Makes sense to be close together if we come under attack.”

Ron took a moment to imagine himself rushing to Hermione’s rescue when hoards of slavering Death Eaters burst in on them one night. He grinned to himself. Will you look at that? She’s got that see-through thing on again. His grin widened. And she’s bloody grateful, too! He jumped as he realised everyone was staring at him expectantly, “What? Oh yeah. Good planning.”

The group looked at him oddly, all aside from Connor, who sniffed the air and gave him a knowing grin. Ron was suddenly very grateful he was still wearing his robes as he became aware of certain stirrings below his belt. “Right, best see if there’s anything else, yeah?” He backed hurriedly out of sight and hurried down the corridor leaving the others staring after him in confusion.

Hermione made her way to the door and paused to lay a concerned hand on Harry’s arm, “He did get properly checked out at the hospital before they let you out, right Harry?” She bit her lip worriedly, “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with him after what happened in Albania, is there?”

Harry looked between his two best friends in bewilderment, “No. He was given the all clear.” He chewed his lip thoughtfully, “Maybe we should get Madam Pomfrey to take a look at him though, just in case.”

Connor snorted as he eased past them, trailing Dawn in one hand and a sleepy looking Ginny in the other, “I wouldn’t bother, he’ll get over it.” He flashed a wide grin at Hermione, “He just needs some time to work stuff out.”

“What does that mean?” Hermione frowned at Harry, “Is there something going on that I should know?”

Harry stared at her thoughtfully, “That’s funny. That’s exactly what I was going to say to you.” He took her arm in his hand, “Come on, Gin looks like she’s going to fall asleep any minute, we’d better get a move on.”

“Now this is more like it!” They both picked up their pace as Connor’s jubilant voice echoed down the corridor and then swung into the last open door.

“Good grief!” Hermione stared around her, “What is it?”

Connor crouched and sprung upwards with a powerful move to catch hold of the wooden rings embedded in the ceiling some fifty feet above their heads. “Training room.” He swung agilely across the ceiling and twisted sharply as his hand stretched for a wooden ring only to have it vanish as his fingers closed on it. He grunted as his body folded and he managed to get a toehold on another ring, leaving him dangling upside down and grinning at them, “Tricky.” The grin disappeared along with his toehold as he plummeted to the ground. A chorus of startled yells echoed around him as he hit the floor and lay on his back staring at the ceiling, “Very tricky.”

Dawn grinned down at him, “Hey, fly boy, you ok?”

Connor bounced to his feet, “Of course.” He cast a wry glance at the ceiling, “It won’t get me so easily next time. What else is there?” He crossed to the nearest wall and grinned widely as he took down a tipped broadsword, “Oh yeah, now this is nice.”

Dawn smiled lovingly at him as he swept the sword through the air and spun into a blur of black robes and flashing silver, “Men. Give ‘em something sharp and pointy and they’re happy.” Her eyes lit up as she caught sight of a double-headed axe, “Oh, mine!”

Ginny felt her jaw drop as Dawn snatched the axe from its holders on the wall and whirled to throw it at a dummy at the other end of the huge room. The blade sunk into the thing’s head and sent it flying backwards with a heavy thunk. “Did she even aim?”

Ron shook his head, “Let’s just pretend that she did, shall we?” He stared around him, “This is amazing.” The room was easily half the size of the great hall, various weapons glittering on three of its walls, with a mirror stretching from floor to ceiling on one side to reflect the main floor area. A huge mat covered a third of the floor, pommel horse and three heavy looking punching bags hanging from the ceiling behind it. Various dummies were set up along the walls, just waiting to take whatever was thrown at them, and there was a complicated pattern of ropes slung from the ceiling which Connor launched himself at with abandon and swarmed through with a grin. The grin turned to a whoop as the robes began to coil around him and he twisted and turned between the strands as they tried to tighten around his body to squeeze the breath from him.

Harry tore his eyes away from Connor as Dawn gave a whoop of her own to see the dummy she had pegged with the axe was climbing to its feet and tugging the axe from its head to launch back at her. She twisted in a blur and caught the axe nimbly by the handle to spin back and hurl it back the dummy in one seamless move. “This is great!” Dawn bent back as the axe went whistling by her face, then straightened to spin into a powerful flying kick to send the advancing dummy back against the wall, “Buffy would go nuts for this!”

Connor dropped down onto the dummy’s shoulders as it stumbled forward again and twisted its head off its shoulders, “You’re telling me! Can you imagine my dad’s face?” He somersaulted off the mannequin’s shoulders and tossed the head carelessly over his shoulder, nodding at the dummy as it continued to walk towards Dawn, “See, another thing that doesn’t stop when you rip its head off.”

“Smart ass.” Dawn judged her moment and then dropped to the floor to sweep her legs around and bring the thing crashing to the floor, “So, any ideas on how we ki…” She stopped as she caught Ron’s eye as she jumped to her feet, rolled her eyes and finished, “turn it off?”

Hermione stepped forward and pulled her wand from her robe sleeve, “This should work. Desisto!” The dummy froze with its hand millimetres away from Dawn’s ankle. Hermione nodded happily, “Thought so.” She grinned as she caught Connor’s speculative look at the other dummies, “And I think that’s it for tonight. We need to get to sleep, we have the first day of school tomorrow.”

Connor looked longingly at the plethora of weapons and new training toys, sighing reluctantly, “Ok. Do you want me to start bringing the trunks up?”

Harry shook his head, “No need. They should be in our rooms by now.” He shrugged as Dawn and Connor stared at him, “I have no idea, things just happen. Come on.” He guided Ginny out the door as she stifled a huge yawn, “Let’s call it a night. You can come and look over it more tomorrow.”

They made their way back down the corridor to the boy’s dormitory and were just starting to say their goodnights when Ron groaned, “Merlin. Dumbledore said we had to choose a name for the house and let him know.”

Connor looked around him and raised his eyebrows as his companions all sagged dispiritedly, “What’s the problem?”

Harry stuck a hand through his hair and scrubbed wildly, vaguely hoping that the motion would help his over taxed mind function a little clearer, “It’s a big deal. It needs to reflect what we are, who we are.” His eyes blinked tiredly behind his glasses, “Like Ravenclaw has the thinkers and planners and Hufflepuff has the workers.”

Connor shrugged, “Oh, that’s easy.”

Dawn cocked an eyebrow at him, “Care to share?”

Connor looked around him seriously, “Strong together.” He gestured to each of them in turn, “That’s what we are, isn’t it?”

“Ye-es.” Ron glanced at Hermione and Harry for support, ”But it lacks a certain… something.”

“Ok.” Connor nodded, “Give me a minute here. I don’t know if I can remember it very well.” Dawn shrugged as everyone turned to look at her whilst Connor’s mouth worked silently. “Got it!” Connor beamed triumphantly, “My first father taught me Latin when I was young. Durus Catenatus. Strong Together. What do you think?”

“I think I’ve never found you sexier.” Dawn kissed the pleased Connor hard on the mouth, “Go hidden depths boy!”

Harry looked at his three friends, “I like it. What do you think?”

Hermione nodded and smiled, “It has a ring to it.”

Ron frowned thoughtfully, “It might work.”

Ginny smiled as everyone looked for her opinion, “It’s perfect.”

Harry smothered his own yawn, “Right. I’ll just go and let Dumbledore know.”

Connor exchanged a look with Dawn, “No, it’s alright, Dawn and I will do it.”

Hermione smiled knowingly as she dug an elbow into Harry’s side to silence him. “Ok. Just go down to the fireplace in the common room, write it on a bit of parchment and say ‘Professor Dumbledore’ as you throw it in. He’ll get it.” She took Ginny’s arm, “’Night boys. See you in the morning.”

Connor tossed a casual wave to Harry and Ron as he left them standing by their door and followed the two witches down the corridor. Dawn smiled gratefully at Hermione as she and Ginny peeled off into their room, “I won’t be long.” Hermione smiled back and nodded goodnight to Connor as she shut the door.

They walked in silence down to the common room and then Dawn watched as Connor carefully wrote on a scrap of parchment. He handed it to her with a rueful smile, “Here, you’d better do this part, God knows what would happen if I tried.”

Dawn grinned and moved to the fireplace. “Professor Dumbledore!” She threw the paper into the fire and watched as the paper winked out in a flash of green light. “Well, that’s it.” Her head laid back on Connor’s shoulder as he came behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, “Quite a night, huh?”

Connor stared into the flames as he breathed in her scent, “Uh-huh. Nice trick with the sausage, by the way.”

Dawn gave a tired giggle, “ Well, you use what you got, its called improvisation. And we still didn’t get a proper meal.”

Connor turned her in his arms and leaned down to brush his lips over hers, “I love you, Dawn.”

Dawn nibbled at his lips, “I love you, too.”

She shivered as Connor’s arms tightened and he pulled her closer to whisper against her mouth before he claimed it in a firm kiss, “It will be ok, you know.”

Dawn’s head swam as his head lifted some minutes later and she smiled into eyes heavy with love and desire, “I know. Durus Catenatus, right?”

Connor cupped his hand at the base of her skull and pulled her head back slightly to deepen the angle of his next kiss, “Damn straight.”


	9. Chapter Nine

Draco Malfoy was convinced he was in heaven. Or hell, depending on your point of view. After a restless night spent tossing and turning, fighting back visions of shy, red-headed witches from his beleaguered mind, he had come down to breakfast to find the Gryffindor table in a state of high excitement and rumours that Potter had been kicked out of Hogwarts.

Draco immediately exercised his position as head prefect of Slytherin and caught the ear of one of his new house members to send the petrified child over to the Gryffindor table to eavesdrop on the other house. Within minutes the shaking boy was scuttling back to report that Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, his sister and the infernal mudblood they hung around with had failed to arrive at the house dormitories the previous evening. A sharp cuff around the head had sent the child scurrying off again to find out if anything had been seen of the two Americans they had been travelling with, but all reports suggested that they had vanished as conclusively at the four senior Gryffindors.

Torn between wild hope that Potter, Weasley and Granger really had been sent down from Hogwarts on the tip of Dumbledore’s pointy boot and annoyed, reluctant concern that Ginny may have shared their fate, Draco was in no mood for Pansy ‘Piggy’ Parkinson and her fawning attentions that morning. Which was a shame as she was only too eager to share them after a long summer apart.

“Just think, no more Potter or Granger. And if Weasley’s gone as well that must mean that you’ll be next in line for head boy.” Pansy clutched his upper arm in both hands and actually batted her still slightly swollen eyes at him as she simpered in his ear, “Oh Draco, wouldn’t it just be simply wonderful?”

_If your head inexplicably fell off and you stopped twittering in my ear like a deranged house-elf? Yes. It would. Don’t let me stop you._

Draco made a big production of tearing his eyes away from the empty table that had appeared from nowhere and had nestled in between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. “What?”

Covering her annoyance that the blond boy was quite obviously not paying her the slightest bit of attention, Pansy gritted her teeth and made sure her ample bosom was pressed tightly up against Draco, “I said, wouldn’t it be wonderful if you were made head boy now that Weasley and his little friends have left the school?”

Draco was mildly alarmed to find that he actually felt a little nauseous at the thought of Ginny being permanently removed from his reach and tried to tell himself it was because he hadn’t finished playing with her yet after the previous school year. Anything else was too horrifying to think about. “Of course.” He frowned, “What’s that table doing there?”

Pansy glanced across at the empty wooden table, “Probably there to seat the new kids.” Her face tightened spitefully, “My father says that they’ve let so many mudbloods in this year they’ll probably have to let them sleep with the house-elves.” She giggled, “Because there won’t be any room in the dormitories, do you see?”

“Yes.” Draco spared her an unreadable look, “I can see where you get your wit from, Pansy.”

Pansy looked pleased, “How sweet.”

Draco blinked; genuinely taken aback that she had missed the thinly veiled insult. “Yes. Aren’t I though?” He glanced down the table towards Emily and Millicent both still showing the faint traces of Dawn’s attentions the previous day despite Madam Pomfrey’s clucking attentions the day before. He glanced at Pansy’s slightly flatter than usual nose and stifled a sudden smirk at the thought of the air-headed fools finally getting a taste of their own medicine.

Then he frowned at the distinctly un-Slytherin-y thoughts. He was morally ambiguous, dammit! Catch him playing sodding champion of the underdog like Harry bloody Potter.

His eyes drifted back to the empty table in uneasy contemplation, “I don’t like that table.”

“Yes, it is rather ugly, isn’t it?”

Draco shut his eyes and wished for a brief, wistful moment that the American girl had managed to hit Pansy just a little harder and dislocate her terminally flapping jaw. He was fairly sure that Madam Pomfrey always took a little longer to fix joints and the thought of a few days of Pansy with her mouth wired shut was becoming increasingly appealing. “I meant that I’m not sure it’s there to cope with overspill, Pansy.”

Pansy turned slightly, making sure her chest rubbed firmly across his bicep, and stared at the offending object, “Why else would it be there?” She turned back and Draco gritted his teeth as her flabby breasts scraped back across the material of his robes once again, “I don’t understand.”

Fortunately the extremely pithy comment that sprang to his lips was cut off as Seamus Finnegan leapt to his feet at the Gryffindor table and shouted loudly, “Harry!” The hall went deathly silent as all conversations ceased and people turned to stare at the open doors. Harry had halted in mid-step and was flushed an unhappy red as he realised that he was once again the centre of unwelcome attention. Ron and Hermione flanked him on either side, as always, with Ginny standing to Hermione’s left next to Dawn. Connor stood at the other end of the uneven line, eyes travelling watchfully over the expectant faces before him. His eyes briefly met Draco’s and he seriously surprised the other boy by nodding briefly at him before smirking at the silent Pansy beside him.

“Harry! Where have you been all night?” Seamus hopped over the bench at the Gryffindor table and hurried up to Harry, “We didn’t know what happened and then your and Ron’s trunks disappeared from the dorm.” He clapped a hand on Harry’s shoulder, “We thought you’d left us for good, boyo!”

Harry opened his mouth and tried to speak but the words just wouldn’t come. He looked over Seamus’ shoulder and saw Dean and Neville wave with relieved grins for them to come and join the Gryffindor table. Then he caught sight of the empty table between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw in the centre of the room. “Seamus…”

Draco looked from Potter’s face to Ginny’s as the group hesitated by the door. His eyes narrowed as he saw her flinch slightly as she saw the empty table in the room and he began to get a very nasty feeling in the pit of his stomach. His eyes snapped back to Harry as the dark-haired boy shook his head helplessly, “Seamus…I…we…”

Seamus stepped back a pace, his broad, honest face creasing suspiciously, “Harry, stop pissin’ about and come sit down. You can tell us all about it over breakfast.”

“What a splendid idea.” Most of the hall jumped as a harsh voice floated into the room and then Professor Snape materialised behind the group in the door, “Potter, please join your house table. I believe you’re delaying the start of breakfast.” The forbidding potions professor folded his arms and glared at Harry and Ron as they stared blankly at him and then back at Seamus. “Well? Is there a problem?”

Seamus scowled suddenly as he realised something was amiss with Harry’s robes, “Harry, where’s your badge?” He poked a hard finger into Harry’s chest at the spot where the Gryffindor colours usually resided as though expecting the badge to suddenly appear with the contact, “Have you lost it? You’d better be finding it before McGonagall sees…” His voice faded as he realised that Ron, Hermione and Ginny were also sans badges, “What’s going on? Where are your badges?”

A feather could have been heard to hit the floor in the breathless silence that followed the question and Harry somehow found his voice under Snape’s mocking eyes. “We gave them back.” He was aware of the others closing ranks behind him as his voice sounded in the cavernous room like he’d put an amplifying charm on it. “We aren’t Gryffindors anymore.”

“What?” Seamus’ jaw sagged and he forced an uneasy laugh, “Stop joking around.”

Ron shook his head as the colour drained from Seamus’ face and the faces of the Gryffindors behind him froze with shock, “He isn’t joking, Seamus.” He clenched his fists in the folds of his robes and said steadily, “We left the house last night and we can’t come back.”

“No.” Seamus shook his head, “This is one of your jokes. A stunt. You’re just trying to wind us up.”

“No, Seamus.” Hermione shook her head, hair bouncing against her pale face, “It’s not a joke. Do you think Ginny and I would go along with it if it were?” She gestured at Dawn and Connor, “We had to make a choice.” She took a deep steadying breath and said, “We had to choose to stay with Connor and Dawn.”

“What?” Seamus stared in blank shock at the two tense Americans and then back at his former housemates, “You chose them over us?” His arm swept out to encompass the silent Gryffindors behind him, “No. That’s not possible. You wouldn’t do that.”

“We did.” Harry’s heart sank at the wild look on Seamus’ face, “I’m sorry, Seamus. We had no choice.”

“No. What about the Quidditch team? The house cup…” Seamus turned as Dean Thomas walked up beside him and Neville joined his other side, “Are ye hearing this?”

Dean nodded, “Yes.” His face was tight with furious anger, “They’re dumping us because something new’s come along.” He folded his arms across his chest, “The famous Harry Potter’s finally showing his true colours. I suppose after everything that happened last term we just aren’t good enough any more, is that right, Harry?”

“No!” Harry’s mouth fell open in horror at the flat, hateful tone, “Merlin, Dean, you know me better than that. You know Ron better than that.”

“I thought I did.” Dean shook his head in disgust, “I really thought I knew you both.”

Hermione stepped forward with a stricken look, “Dean, please.” She placed a hand on his arm and gasped as he wrenched away as though she’d burned him, “Neville…”

Neville’s eyes shone with bitter betrayal, “No Hermione.” He crossed his own arms and spat, “I always knew that you three didn’t care as much about Gryffindor as the rest of us but I never thought you’d do this.”

“Now wait just a damn minute…” Dawn moved furiously towards the three boys and was brought up short by Ron’s hand on her arm, “I am not going to stand around and let them talk to you guys like that!”

Ron smiled grimly into her eyes, “Yes you are. This isn’t your battle, Dawn.” He shook her arm lightly in warning and gave a wry twist of his mouth as he said quietly, “What is it you people say? Stand down.” He gave a breath of a laugh, “That’s an order.”

Dawn shot one last fulminating look at the angry boys and reluctantly stepped back to Connor’s side. He reached out and squeezed her hand and then gave her a light shove to send her to the right as he turned and scanned the left side of the hall looking for signs of any trouble. A slight movement behind him had Connor turning and looking into the glittering eyes of Snape. “One move with a weapon, boy, and I will have you cursed quicker than you can blink.”

Connor raised his lip in an amused snarl, “You’ll have to be pretty damn fast.” Suddenly he was standing behind the potions teacher and smiling at his gasp of surprise as he leaned forward to whisper, “And I’m a little off my game today. Just think how fast you’ll have to be when I get up to speed.” He moved again as Snape began to turn and then was standing leaning against the wall as the gaunt man was forced to spin in a confused circle trying to catch up with him, “Sir.”

Ginny stared at the angry Gryffindors in front of her, then at Connor and Snape as they began to face off behind her and clutched at Hermione, “We need to do something. This is getting out of hand.”

Hermione tore her eyes away from Ron and Harry as they fronted up to their friends and looked around the hall searching for ideas. She chewed her lip as the tension level rose to stratospheric levels and wracked her brains for anything that would help diffuse the situation. Sixth and seven year Gryffindors were rising from the house table to come to stand with Seamus and the others as they started to shout furiously with Harry and Ron and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were whispering behind raised hands as the silence disappeared before hurtful angry words. The Slytherins looked delighted and as though they were about to break out the champagne and truffles any minute.

At the sound of a fist smacking into flesh Hermione spun round with a scream and watched as Ron and Seamus fell into a swearing, struggling heap on the floor. She was reaching for her wand as Harry lunged after his friends and then went down with a shout of his own as Dean tackled him with a roar and after a brief hesitation, and a nervous look at Snape, Neville ran to help Dean hold Harry down. Ginny reached for her wand as Hermione whipped hers out and then both girls shouted ‘Impedimenta!”

Dawn and Connor pushed past them as the five yelling boys on the floor froze for a moment and hurriedly grabbed Ron and Harry, hauling them away from their antagonists. Dawn grabbed a handful of Harry’s robes, tugging him to his feet and shoved him behind her, “Enough!” She planted her feet and stood with eyes blazing as Seamus, Dean and Neville got to their feet, shaking off the effects of Hermione’s charm, “Enough.” Her tone gentled as behind her she could hear a spitting mad Ron now yelling furiously at Connor, “We don’t want any trouble but if you touch them again then Connor and I will get involved and it will not be pretty.”  
  


“Get out of my way, muggle!”

Dawn’s eyebrows rose as Dean stepped forward with a snarl and she took her own wand out of her pocket, “Let’s see…” She flicked it through the air, “Quietus!” Dean’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly as he advanced towards her and Dawn smiled, “Well that worked! Muggle, schmuggle.” She turned as Dean stopped and grabbed at his throat in surprise, “Ok, everyone cool off.”

Ron opened his mouth, tried to speak and then looked comically amazed as nothing came out. Dawn looked at Hermione as the English girl’s mouth opened urgently and once again nothing emerged. “Oh crap.” Dawn turned and surveyed the hall as from one end of the room to the other people were desperately trying to communicate with their neighbours, “I may have OD’d on the magics.” She glanced up at a light touch on her shoulder and looked into Connor’s laughing eyes. He gave her a double thumbs up and a wry smile as he mouthed, “Good job!”

Dawn huffed, “Oh, shut up.” Her eyes narrowed as Connor’s eyes crinkled and he dissolved into a fit of silent laughter, “You know what I mean.” She stared round her absently as she mused aloud, “I’m sure the counter-charm was in that book I read.” She tapped her finger against her thigh as she thought furiously, “What was it now? Sana…something. Sanatations? Sanarus?” Hermione tapped her on the shoulder and mouthed urgently, “What?” She watched as the other girl’s lips moved slowly, “So..Son-a-rus?” Hermione shook her head frantically and tried again, “Son-or-rous.” Hermione nodded and Dawn repeated, “Sonorous? That’s the counter charm? Right.” She gripped her wand and pushed her sleeve back, “Everyone hang on. Sonorous!”

The room was suddenly filled with a thunderous noise. Dawn winced, “Oh yeah, that’s much better.”

* * *

Malfoy sat and watched the display by the main doors of the Great Hall and for the first time in his life found himself unable to think of anything to say. At all. He had heard Potter and Weasley confirm that they had left Gyrffindor house to the hall and then everything else was lost due to the buzzing in his head. Well, the buzzing and Pansy bloody Parkinson twittering nineteen to the dozen in his poor, abused ears and punctuating each sentence with an excited screech and her nails digging into his bicep as she held his arm in a vice-like grip against her chest.

It didn’t seem possible. Leaving one’s house? That wasn’t what happened. You arrived at Hogwarts and were sorted into your house and there you stayed. Defined, shaped and moulded into what your house required of you. Draco stared at Ron and Harry as they exchanged bitter, angry words with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan and was ashamed to admit that underneath the ingrained hatred and built up loathing of six years of all things Potter and Weasley, there was a tiny, miniscule part of him that felt, just for a moment, a twinge of envy. He glanced around his ecstatic housemates and then at his two particular friends Crabbe and Goyle, having the situation explained to them in small words by Millicent, and wondered at the possibilities that would open to him if he weren’t a member of the most untrustworthy house at Hogwarts.

When the American girl had restored sound to the room with a flick of her wand, he was able to catch tiny snippets of Ginny’s agonised voice as she pleaded with some of her sixth year friends to calm down and just listen to her for a moment. “Susannah, please, if you’ll just let me…” The low, tense voice was drowned out as her brash older brother bellowed furiously at Seamus and gave a firm suggestion as to what the smaller boy could do with his wand and his opinions on Ron’s loyalty to Gryffindor and his friends.

As much as Draco was entertained by the image that the words raised, he willed Ron to belt up so he could hear more of Ginny’s speech to her friends. Ah, there we go. “No! That’s not it at all. Paul, you know that’s not what happened. We don’t want to…” It was Potter that reacted loudly to drown out Ginny this time and Draco growled as he-of-the-scar shifted to block Ginny from his eyes as well.

_Bloody, sodding, toad-eyed, scar faced, stupid haired…oh, hang on, he’s moved back again. Maybe he’s not so bad._

Draco jumped like someone had just let off a Filibuster’s firework under his bench and stared horrified at Ginny. Did he just think that Harry ‘the boy-who-just-won’t-die’ Potter wasn’t that bad because he moved to allow an unrestricted view of Ginny Weasley? He gripped the edge of the table and looked in glazed shock at the said Weasley. _Oh no, that’s just too cruel. Not even I’d be that evil._ Malfoy sent a pleading look at the ceiling above his head. _Whatever’s up there stop pissing about, alright? There is no way I want Ginny Weasley, ok? No bloody way in hell. She’s skinny, she’s got orange hair and she’s got a horrible disfigurement._ He took a deep shuddering breath. _I’m a Malfoy, she’s a Wea…She’s on the ground!_ A shrill cry of surprise echoed through the hall as Ginny was shoved to the floor when a particularly furious sixth year pushed by her to reach Harry and Ron. Before he knew what he was doing Draco had jumped to his feet and was stepping over the bench, wand gripped tightly in his hand.

“Draco! What are you doing?” Pansy shrieked with surprise as she was nearly dragged to the floor thanks to her death grip on his arm, “People are looking!”

Draco tugged his arm free, “Well, they are now, thanks to you. ” He marched down the hall, “Someone has to take control of this situation before it gets out of hand. House prefects with me!” Without waiting for a response to his order he rounded the end of the table and made his way to where Hermione was helping Ginny to her feet as Dawn held her attacker face forward against the wall in an arm lock. “Are you alright, Weasley?” Ignoring the stunned look on Granger’s face Draco tugged both girls out the way of the one of the Gryffindor beaters and looked them over coldly, “Stay here and out of the way while I clear up your latest mess, ok?” Ignoring the tingling in his hand where he had touched Ginny’s arm to move her, Malfoy turned in a swirl of black robes and shouted angrily, “I said prefects to me. NOW!” He met Professor Snape’s eyes, “Sir, I assume you’ll need our assistance in controlling the situation?”

Snape looked as though the last thing he wanted was the situation diffused and was actually delighted about Gryffindor house lining up to take pot shots at Harry and Ron, but thanks to Malfoy’s firm question had no choice in replying through admittedly gritted teeth, “Yes. Thank you Mr Malfoy.”

Draco nodded, “Sir.” He turned as the confused prefects from all four houses joined him, “If anyone makes a move towards Potter or the others disarm them and deduct twenty points from their house. Fifty if another blow is thrown.” He spun on his heel and stalked up to Dawn, “Let him go.”

“I don’t think so.” Dawn tugged the boy’s arm again and bared her teeth in a mirthless grin at his yip of pain, “This little worm hurt Ginny.”

“And he will be dealt with.” Draco folded his arms, “Let him go, please.” He nodded as Dawn reluctantly stepped away from her captive and the boy sagged with relief and rubbed his sore arm. For about a second. “Your name?”

“Wh…what?” The smaller boy stared up at the tight, furious face of the scariest Slytherin in school.

“Your name.” Malfoy bit the words out like machine gun fire and his pale eyebrows drew together ominously, “I want your name.”

“Ja..Jason Nellison.”

“Ah, yes, the Gryffindor keeper. Well, thanks to you your team is now down two members. Automatic match ban for the first three matches, fifty points from Gryffindor and a week’s detention starting tonight with myself.” Draco bared his teeth, “Clear?”

“What?” Nellison drew himself up angrily, fear of the prefect forgotten in the anger of the harsh punishment, “You can’t do that!”

“I rather think I can.” Draco glared pointedly, “And if I hear another word come out of your mouth it’ll be seventy-five points and a month of detention. Maybe you’ll think twice before you go shoving little girls around. Return to your seat.”

The two boys engaged in a brief staring contest before Jason reluctantly moved off and then Draco nodded to Dawn, “If you would stand with Weasley and Granger while we get the situation under control.” He turned around without waiting for her answer and walked quickly to the volcanic group arguing with Harry and Ron. Dawn’s mouth hung open as she watched him and then she shook herself and looked for Connor making sure he was ok and not beating the tar out of anyone before joining the still stunned Hermione and Ginny.

“That’s the same guy from the train yesterday, right?”

Hermione nodded, “Yes.” She straightened her robes as she eyed Draco incredulously, “Yes it is.”

Dawn smiled at Ginny and then looked confused, “So what’s the deal with him? I thought you guys were like mortal enemies or something.”

Hermione shook her head baffled, “We were.” Her mouth fell open unattractively as Malfoy insinuated himself between Ron and Dean and began to speak in a low serious voice, “I mean we are.”

“Well, I don’t think he got the memo.” She glanced at Ginny who was watching Malfoy with pink-cheeked fascination, “Are you ok?”

“What? Oh yes.” Ginny started guiltily, “Yes, I’m fine thanks.” She tore her eyes away from Malfoy and the now stunned into silence group of boys, “This is terrible.”

Hermione nodded miserably, “I know. I didn’t think it would be this bad.”

Dawn eyed the Gryffindor table that was now reluctantly re-seated and the line of prefects that stood ranged between them and the objects of their angry betrayal, “Definitely not taking it lying down.” She straightened as she caught sight of Professor Dumbledore out of the corner of her eye, “Here comes the cavalry.”

Hermione and Ginny turned as the headmaster walked slowly up the central aisle, “Oh thank goodness.” Hermione twisted her shaking hands together, “Maybe he can calm things down.”

Dawn smiled absently at the heartfelt words and watched as Malfoy dispatched Seamus, Dean and Neville with another glare and a metaphorical flea in their ears. Her eyes narrowed as Neville scratched suddenly at the side of his head. At least she hoped it was metaphorical.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Ron’s outraged howl bounced off the walls and roof of the hall as he finally found his voice, “What the bloody hell do you think you’re playing at?”

Draco eyed the taller head boy sardonically, “It would appear I am defending my head of school from attack.” He cocked his head haughtily, “Would you prefer I let them continue to assault you?”

“Yes!” Ron’s face was nearly purple with shame and disbelief at the horror of being saved by from his former friends by his most hated enemy, “Of course I bloody would!”

“You really are the most pig-headed arse I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting, Weasley.” Malfoy’s voice was filled with disdain as he drew himself up and drawled scornfully, “Perhaps you’d have also been happy with me leaving your sister at the mercy of your former housemates?”

“Ginny?” Ron’s head snapped round as he focused on his sister, “Ginny, what’s happened? Are you ok?” He shoved past Draco and headed for the three girls standing to the side, “Do you need to go to the hospital wing?”

Ginny sent a fulminating look at the smirking Draco as he met her eyes over Ron’s shoulder, “Of course not. I just fell over.” She huffed impatiently as Ron grabbed her head in both hands and looked her over worriedly, “Get off, I’m fine!”

Malfoy took his eyes from the furious look on Ginny’s face and looked down at a touch on his arm. Harry was frowning slightly as though his words cost him but he managed to mutter, “Thank you.”

A wintery smile flickered over Draco’s pale face, “Please, don’t mention it. Ever.” He smirked, “And it wasn’t an entirely altruistic move on my behalf, Potter. I imagine being hauled up in front of the old boy to explain why I allowed the head boy and the famous Potter to get ripped to pieces at breakfast would have been an uncomfortable experience.” He nodded at Professor Dumbledore, “Good morning, sir.”

Professor Dumbledore smiled at the two boys, “Good morning, boys. I see you’ve made your little announcement, Harry?”

Harry nodded miserably, “Yes sir.”

“Very well, very well.” Dumbledore caught sight of Connor over Harry’s shoulder glaring ominously at Snape and, moving quite fast for such an old guy, joined them to clap Connor on the shoulder and guide him away from the angry looking potions professor, “Good morning, Mr Angel. Perhaps you’d like to take your seat?” He tugged at Connor’s shoulder firmly, “Now, Mr Angel.” With a last dark look at Snape, Connor moved to Harry’s side and then they both walked to join the rest of their small group and go to their achingly empty house table.

Professor Dumbledore nodded to Draco, “Thank you, Mr Malfoy. If you would rejoin your friends?” He waited until the blond boy nodded to the still tense prefects and they dispersed to their separate houses and then said in an undertone to Professor Snape, “I imagine that it was a fairly difficult situation to control by oneself, Severus.”

Snape sniffed at the faint tone of condemnation in the mild remark, “I wouldn’t know Headmaster.” He drew his robes around himself with a flourish, “I was occupied in controlling the savage American.”

“And you’re still conscious? Well, well, capital!” Dumbledore beamed delightedly at the younger man as Snape’s sallow skin flushed furiously, “I imagine Mr Angel is still feeling the effects of his relocation overseas. I must have a word with Poppy and see if there’s anything she can suggest.” He bustled back down towards the teacher’s table, “Well, come along Professor, we must get things moving. First lesson of the term is in half an hour.”

  
  


* * *

Connor and Dawn stood with Ginny as she queued for her first class of the morning, Precise and Proper Care of Magical Books and Artefacts with Madam Pince, and eyed the collection of sixth year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs watching the three of them with a mixture of anger, disgust and, in the case of the Hufflepuffs, deep curiosity.

Although Ginny would never admit it out loud she was pathetically thankful to learn that Dawn and Connor would be joining her in some classes when Harry and the others were attending lessons that were not applicable to Dawn and Connor’s unique skills or there were no muggle classes scheduled for them. The thought of facing her classmates on her own had twisted her stomach into knots as she tried to choke down a piece of toast at breakfast and she had only managed to swallow some orange juice when Dawn had pointed out that they were sharing their first lesson.  
  


Connor stood to one side watching the assembled students with the expression of a bored lion trying to decide if he was hungry enough to make the effort to hunt and Dawn kept a careful expression of calm nonchalance on her face as she leaned on the other side of Ginny. Ginny feverently wished that Madam Pince would hurry up and arrive as she happened to know that Connor was concealing a blunted stake at his side for use as a impromptu cudgel and Dawn was gripping her wand and dying to try out a curse she had found for turning someone’s hair to blades of grass and they were both itching for an excuse to use them.

“Move aside, move aside!” Ginny’s shoulders sagged with relief as the elderly librarian bustled down the corridor and bumped aside glowering teenagers like they were rag dolls. She pointed her wand at the door and muttered her password under her breath before slamming back the door and hurrying inside, “To the main tables, students. Pair up and put on the goggles you find on your tables, please. We’re starting simply today but if anyone gets shot in the eye by the protective wards on the ‘Art of Mystical Warfare and Annihilation’ I’ll never hear the end of it from Madam Pomfrey. Quickly and quietly, please.”

Ginny looked around herself at her classmates and bit her lip as they moved as a unit to turn their backs on her. Dawn glared at the room and nudged Ginny, “Stay with me and Connor, we’ll probably need some help.”

Ginny smiled shakily, “Of course.” She turned as Madam Pince sailed up to their table, “Is that ok, Madam?”

The elderly librarian peered over the top of her half moon glasses and smiled bracingly at the unhappy girl, “I think that’s a very good idea, Miss Weasley.” She surreptitiously squeezed Ginny’s hand as she passed by, “Cheer up, my dear.”

Blinking back tears at the unexpected kindness Ginny tugged on a pair of goggles and picked up a pair of long handled tweezers. Connor tugged on his own goggles and then patted her shoulder uncomfortably, “Don’t worry, it’ll be alright.”

Ginny glanced around her at the scowls and dark looks coming from every direction as the Gryffindors settled down to re-bind the books under Madam Pince’s instructions, “I don’t see how, they hate us. This is much worse than I dreamed it could be.”

Dawn raised her chin and defiantly returned the scowls as she stared around the room, “Huh, they have no idea how bad things are gonna get if they pull any payback crap on you.” She patted Ginny’s arm, “You guys aren’t the only ones that have the loyalty thing going on for you. Let’s see how they like having the Destroyer and the Key all over their butts.”

Ginny took her eyes off her work for a minute, “Thanks, Dawn.” Both girls jumped at a surprised yelp from Connor and turned to see him beating frantically at his smoking fringe.

“Hey, I’m on your side, remember?” Connor beat out the last of the smouldering sparks on his head and frowned reprovingly at Ginny. “Direct the lightening bolts to the people that want to make you cry.” He turned to Dawn, “Is my hair ok?”

“What is it with you guys and your hair?” Dawn giggled as Connor rolled his eyes upwards to see the damage, “I swear, Angel passed the hair obsession on to every kid he ever had. Sweetie, you look fine.”

Ginny smothered her own laugh as she nodded seriously, “Really, absolutely fine. I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, you look it.” Connor grinned at her and smoothed a hand over his head again, very generously deciding not to beat some manners into the room of teenagers that had dissolved into petty laughter. He frowned, “Are you sure you’re not just saying that?”

Dawn rolled her own eyes, “God, Connor, you look fine!”

Connor smoothed his hair down one last time and then nudged Dawn, “And what did you mean by that crack about Dad? What other kids?”

“Hello, Spike?” Dawn snorted, “Sometimes I think the only reason that vamps can’t see themselves in a mirror is evil’s way of making sure they actually get off their butts and do something.” She nudged Connor’s side, “For kick-ass warriors of the light you guys sure do a lot of primping and moisturising.”

“I do not moisturise!” Connor flushed a guilty red under Dawn’s pointed look, “That’s sunscreen! I mean, hello, I live in LA!”

Ginny and Dawn looked silently, and eloquently, at the grey, and above all English, sky and rain pounding against the bevelled windows of the library. Then Dawn leaned forward with a smug smile and scraped her finger along Connor’s jaw and showed him the tiny white blob of cream on the tip. She sniffed it delicately and then glared at him, “Hey! This is my twenty-dollar a pop three-in-one cream! Suncream my ass!”

Connor bent his head as Ginny began to giggle helplessly at his shifty expression, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He poked the book lying forgotten on the table, “What should we do with this?”

Dawn folded her arms; “See how much it hurts when I whack you over the head with it?” She pursed her mouth angrily as Ginny hurriedly snatched the book off the table and cradled it protectively in her arms, “When did you go through my stuff?”

Connor sighed, “I didn’t go through your st…” He scowled defensively, “Ok, fine, I may have gone into to your bathroom this morning to borrow some soap and saw it on the shelf.” He folded his own arms and glared, “Mom says that I have to take care of my skin.”

“Connor you fight the forces of darkness not bad beauty products. The average demon is not going to care what state your face is in.” Dawn poked her finger into his chest, “And just so you know, I even so much as sniff at mascara on you, and I don’t care how soul-matey we are, you are out of here.”

  
  


* * *

Harry shut the common room door behind him and leaned against it with a relieved breath, “Thank Merlin that’s over.”

Ron threw his over-loaded school bag against the wall with an angry shout and roughly shoved his hands through his already mussed up hair, “That has got to be the worst day I have ever lived through.” He pulled his hands wearily over his face and scrubbed at the skin, “Including the one where it was touch and go if that giant was going to eat me.” He threw himself down in a boneless sprawl on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, “The whole bloody school hates us.” His head turned as Connor came down the stairs from the dormitories, “Merlin, what happened to you?”

Connor gingerly touched his face and the brand spanking new boils now housed there, “Got cursed.”

“Really?” Harry gave his new friend and housemate a sympathetic grin, “What makes you think that?”

Connor snorted wryly and propped his butt against the arm of the chair, “Getting jumped by a load of sniggering girls when I walked back from that stupid gardening lesson with Ginny.” He waved a hand through the air as Ron pushed himself upright in concern, “Its ok. She’s fine; I knocked her out of the way. She’s upstairs putting together a potion to take the edge off before she tries the counter-curse. She wants to wait for Hermione to get home to double check the spell before she hits me with it.”

Harry winced at the pustulant red and yellow growths covering Connor’s face and neck, “Is it sore?”

“What do you think?” Connor shifted uneasily, “It’s all over too.”

Ron blanched, “You mean…” He gestured to the general area of Connor’s crotch and concluded weakly, “All over?”

“Oh yeah.” Connor shifted uncomfortably, “All the way over. They never would have got me either if I hadn’t been a little off from that stupid confusion spell earlier in the day.”

Harry blinked, “You’ve been attacked twice?”

Connor stood and gave up on trying to get comfortable, “Try seven times and you’ll be closer to the mark. Eight if you count the plague of birds that attacked me when I used the bathroom in between classes.” He rolled his shoulders and tried desperately to think of anything but the throbbing, itching blemishes marring his usually smooth skin, “I dodged the first couple but they got me good with something called a conjunctiva curse on my way to my math class with Dawn after lunch and it was all downhill from there.” He glanced unhappily up the stairs, “How long does it take to make a potion anyway?”

Ron and Harry exchanged looks, “Bloody Slytherins.” Ron spat the words out bitterly and thumped a clenched fist down on the sofa cushion, “Wait till I get hold of Malfoy.”

“What’s he got to do with this?” Connor looked at Ron in surprise, “It wasn’t him.”

“Of course it wasn’t.” Harry scowled darkly, “He wouldn’t get his hands dirty, just get one of his bloody minions to do it.”

“No, I mean it wasn’t his house.” Connor shrugged apologetically, “Sorry, guys, this was strictly Gryffindor work all the way.”

“Gryffindors did this?” Ron seriously doubted his heart could take another shock. The last couple of days had been very trying and he was convinced that it was only a matter of time before he got one shot of adrenalin too many and combusted on the spot, “Our Gryffindors?”

“Red and yellow badges and really anti anything American?” Connor nodded, “Yep, that would be them.” He jerked his head back towards the stairs; “They got Dawn two classes before the end of the day and turned her blue. Again, all over. She’s upstairs trying to wash it off with some stuff Ginny gave her. Apparently there’s no counter curse, just lots and lots of time with carbolic soap and a loofah.” He shrugged uneasily, “The last I heard she’s scrubbed herself orange and was changing again to a light shade of green. Ginny said there’s normally about twelve shades to work through and she should be back to normal tomorrow.”

Ron and Harry gaped disbelievingly at him and Connor frowned, “You didn’t get anything like this today?”

Harry shook his head, “No! I never thought it would come to this. We’ve had some name calling and most people have refused to speak to us but nothing like this.” He took off his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes, “You say that they tried to attack Ginny as well?”

Connor tucked his hands into his pockets to avoid the increasing temptation of rubbing frantically at his skin and thought back to the last attack, “I don’t know.” He mentally replayed the moment he saw an arm flick down from the bushes by the lake and the group of girls laughing as he turned to fling himself at Ginny and took her down to the wet grass, “It’s possible, but I don’t think so. All the other attacks have been directly against me and if you guys haven’t had any trouble then it’s unlikely that they would have been aiming for Ginny.”

Harry nodded, “That sounds about right.” He exchanged looks with Ron, “They’re trying to force the muggles out.” His eyes flicked apologetically to Connor, “Sorry.”

Connor waved a hand, “I kind of figured that out.”

Ron jumped to his feet, “But why are they targeting Dawn and Connor, they haven’t done anything!”

“In their heads they have.” Harry propped his head gloomily on his cupped hands and stared into the fire, “They’re the reason we’ve left Gryffindor.” He gave an awkward shrug, “Without Connor and Dawn coming to Hogwarts none of this would have happened.”

Connor nodded, “True.” He eased his head from side to side uncomfortably, “And I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to the next attack.” A faint grimace crossed his face as he thought he felt a particularly ripe boil burst on his back, “This is just a laugh a minute.”

Harry tipped his head to one side, “Why are you here and not in the hospital wing?”

“Ginny wanted a chance to try and heal me on her own. She says that if something does happen to any of us there’s a good chance we might not be able to get to proper medical help and she thinks we need to be prepared.” Connor shrugged, “I figured seeing as nothing’s broken or bleeding I might as well let her have a go.”

Ron kicked the side of an armchair, “Bloody hell.” He kicked the chair again and then thumped it with a clenched fist for good measure, “Bloody hell.” He stood for a moment scowling down at the innocent piece of furniture and then turned to face the other two boys, “Right, here’s what we do. When Connor and Dawn have been fixed up we all sit down and go through every spell or curse we’ve ever learned, there has to be something in there that we can use as a protection charm to stop most attacks around school.” He pointed at Connor, “You aren’t to go anywhere by yourself for the next few days.” He held up a hand to forestall Connor’s protest, “No. You’re the most vulnerable of all of us at the moment and no matter how fast you are you’re going to get hit again at some point. If we can’t find a protection charm then you need a magic user with you to hold off your attackers if you manage to dodge the curse or spell.”

Harry stood up and nodded, “Right. And I think it’s a good idea one of us has a word with a prefect at Gryffindor and make it clear that any attack on Dawn and Connor will be taken personally.” He looked thoughtful, “Where’s Hermione anyway? Shouldn’t she be back by now? Arithmancy finished half an hour ago.”

Ron blanched in sudden concern, “You don’t think they ambushed her?” He drew his wand and made hurriedly for the door, “I’m going to look for her.”

Harry nodded, “Wait for me.”

Ron had just touched the door when it was pushed open from the other side and Hermione stumbled through the opening completely overloaded with books and a very heavy looking bag. “Oof!” She stumbled back as she bounced off Ron’s chest, then blinked up in surprise as he caught her and placed her on her feet, “Ron, what are you doing hiding behind the door?”

Ron reached round her, slammed the door shut and then relieved her off her bag, “Looking for you. Sweet Merlin, Hermione, what have you got in here?”

“What? Oh just some extra reading.” Harry and Ron exchanged indulgent smiles behind her back as she stacked the books in her arms carefully on a nearby desk and then looked up to catch a glimpse of Connor for the first time, “Oh goodness!” She hurried across to him, “What happened?”

Connor grinned ruefully, “Long story.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the stairs, “I’ll tell you upstairs. Ginny needs you.” He made a face as he felt another suspicious pop on his backside, “Ginny needs you now.”

Hermione looked back over her shoulder as she was all but dragged from the room, “I just saw Professor Dumbledore and he gave me something for all of us. In the front pocket of my baaag…” Her voice trailed off in a shriek as Connor pulled her impatiently up the stairs and Ron looked at the bag in his hand. He shrugged at Harry and opened the bag flap to rummage in the front pouch.

“Hell.” Ron stared blankly at the scraps of material in his hand, “I suppose this makes it official.”

Harry joined him and touched the pile of house badges that lay on his friend’s palm. He lifted one up and held it up to the light. Against a background of purple a phoenix was depicted in full flight encircled by a band of five glowing colours. Above and below the phoenix’s wings on either side of its body there was a tiny animal. A lion for Gryffindor, a snake for Slytherin, an eagle for Ravenclaw and a badger for Hufflepuff. Harry touched an unsteady forefinger to the bright circle surrounding the four animals, “Blue for Ravenclaw, silver for Slytherin, black for Hufflepuff, gold for the Gryff’s and purple for us. A circle for strength and a phoenix for…what does a phoenix stand for anyway?”

Ron shrugged, “Merlin knows. How many times we can drag our collective arses out of the fire?”

Harry sniggered and tilted the badge towards the fading light at the windows, “It’s carrying something in its mouth.”

Ron frowned and squinted at the badges he held and then laughed, “A key. A key and a stake.” His eyes were brimming with laughter as he looked up at Harry, “Well, he’s covered all the bases anyway.”

“Durus Catenatus.” Harry read the name of their house as it rippled across the spread tail feathers of the phoenix and smiled, “Let’s hope so.”


	10. Chapter Ten

Harry dropped his bag on the floor and leaned wearily against the corridor wall. It was the last lesson of Friday afternoon and he’d never been so glad to see the weekend looming in his life. Beside him Ron and Hermione dropped their own bags and leant just as wearily beside him, ignoring the vile looks and muttered comments from all around them as the Slytherins and Gryffindors arrived in dribs and drabs for their first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson of the year.

Their first week had to have been the worst that any of them had ever endured at Hogwarts. Worse than everyone thinking Harry was Voldemort’s heir, worse than the time he had become school champion, even more terrible than the painful weeks when Hermione had been snatched and they didn’t know if she was alive or dead. All four houses were united in their hatred and disgust for the traitors, as they had become known. Although, to be fair, Slytherin were behaving just as they had done for the last six years towards Harry and his friends. Some things never changed after all.

When the six had gone down to breakfast wearing their new badges the morning after the announcement it had taken the combined forces of Dumbledore, McGonagall and Madam Hooch to quell the furious protests from all four houses at the use of their own colours and mascots in the new design. And Ron spent half an hour in the hospital wing when someone managed to slip a curse by Dumbledore and change his ears into huge, misshapen wings. All in all, he’d had better starts to his day.

Harry opened his eyes and looked up the corridor as Dawn and Connor rounded the corner engaged in a loud argument. “All I’m saying is that you can’t call one of the greatest romantic tales in the history of literature stupid just because you don’t find the ending satisfactory.”

Connor rolled his eyes at Dawn’s high-pitched tone, “It is stupid. They meet, they fall in love, ludicrous situations occur and then they die. That’s not romantic, that’s…stupid.”

“It’s Romeo and Juliet!” Dawn glared at her erstwhile boyfriend, “No way is that stupid!”

Connor realised Dawn was in danger of going into serious pout mode and grabbed her suddenly to twirl her round off her feet and high in the air, “You’re telling me that if Spike and Buffy had refused to let you see me then you’d have gone trotting off to the magic box and taken a stupid potion to get them to bury you?” He swung her and caught an arm under one of her knees to cradle her against him, “Or that you’d have taken all that nonsense about houses and family seriously?” His mouth captured hers in a brief kiss, “Yeah, right.”

Dawn blinked; she’d lost her train of thought. What was it now? Oh yeah, Connor’s inability to appreciate great literature, “Star-crossed lovers. Moonlight trysts. Families at war.”

Connor grinned, “Been there, done that.” He nodded at Harry, Ron and Hermione as he drew level with them and dropped Dawn back onto her feet, keeping an arm around her shoulders, “I preferred West Side Story. Catchier tunes.”

“When did you see West Side Story?” Dawn screwed her neck round and stared at Connor incredulously.

“Don’t tell anyone but ever since Dad got Gunn into ballet he’s branched out. Opera, classical music and a serious addiction to show tunes. We killed a nest of vamps one night, then got pizza in and had a movie marathon.” Connor winked, “His favourite is ‘Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.’” Determinedly oblivious to the poisonous looks coming his way Connor nodded to the students in the hall, “Hey.”

Dawn fought back a fit of giggles at the thought of tough, street-wise Gunn moon-eyed over fifties musicals, “That’s so…so…”

“Lame?” Connor looked resigned, “Wait till you see him and Lorne do their Lady Marmalade turn from Moulin Rouge.” He shook his head; “You have no idea how bad it can get.”

Dawn smiled at her three housemates, “Hi, guys. Good afternoon?”

Hermione’s eyes flickered for a moment towards the hostile students watching them and then she nodded, “Not bad. You?”

Dawn shrugged, “Apart from Connor’s total lack of imagination it was fine.”

“It was stupid.” Connor looked imploringly at Ron and Harry, “Help me out here.”

“Yes, Potter, do tell us how much you enjoyed the girly play.” Malfoy’s eyes sparkled with malicious amusement; “I understand there are some fine examples of the betrayal of one’s closest friends in that particular work. Perhaps you, Weasley and Granger found some helpful hints?”

“Sod off, Malfoy.” Ron’s hands clenched into fists and he shook Hermione’s restraining hand off his arm, “Just keep your stuck up nose out of other people’s business.”

“Or what?” Draco’s expression turned from one of amusement to a sneer, “You and your house will make me sorry? All five of you?” He shuddered, “Oh, now I’m scared.”

“Six.” Connor squeezed Dawn’s shoulders and eyed the blond boy coolly, “There’s six of us. You remember Ginny?”

Connor was looking for a reaction and grinned as a tiny flicker shook the confident sneer for a moment. Draco rallied admirably in the face of Connor’s knowing smirk, “I hardly think the littlest Weasel can be counted, do you?”

“Oh, I happen to think she’s very important.” Connor smiled sunnily at the sudden flush that stained Draco’s cheeks, “She comes in useful when you least expect it.” He continued with a wicked grin, “You wouldn’t believe how valuable she is to some people.”

From the look on Dracos’s face that he was the only person in the confined space that caught the double meaning in Connor’s innocent statement and he took the only course of action open to him. He shut up.

Dawn darted a confused look between Connor and the thoroughly routed Slytherin and made a mental note to ask him what the hell had happened in their exchange that had quenched the prefect so successfully. From the look of Ron, Hermione and Harry they were just as baffled as she was.

“What are you all doing out here?” The voice cracked like a whip from behind them and Dawn and the others jumped as Professor Snape swept past them in a whirl of black robe and lank hair, “Inside and be seated. We have a lot to cover today.” He turned at the entrance to the classroom and his eyes rested with gloating anticipation on Connor for a moment, the only student not to flinch when his voice had sounded so unexpectedly, “There is a great deal to be done.”

Ron was rooted to the spot with horror as the other students leapt after the Professor. “Oh bloody buggering hell.” He stared at Connor, “Oh shit. What the hell is Snape doing here?”

Hermione pulled a copy of her timetable from her bag, “It says here that the professor for DADA is Thenarus.” She shook the paper in her hand suspiciously, “It’s definitely down here as being Thenarus.”

Harry hurriedly shoved Dawn and Connor into motion, “Well apparently it’s not. Stay alert, Merlin knows what Snape’s got planned for us.”

  
  


* * *

The lesson went progressively downhill from there. Snape’s first order of business was to announce with no small amount of satisfaction that he would be taking the class on a permanent basis for all seventh years for the rest of the year. The Slytherins burst into a wild round of applause as the Gryffindors and Harry’s group stared in morose horror at the gloating professor.

“No, no, no.” Ron’s face drained of all colour, “Somebody up there really hates me.”

Hermione patted his arm shakily, “Maybe it won’t be that bad.”

“Miss Granger!” Hermione jumped as Snape bellowed her name, “No talking in class without my permission. Five points from Gryff…oh yes, you no longer belong with your former house.” A snide smile graced his sallow features, “Five points from whatever it is that you call yourselves now.”

Ron and Harry glared at Snape as Hermione flushed and bit her lip. Dawn and Connor exchanged looks and then turned back to face the professor with assessing looks in their eyes. Dawn was mentally cataloguing all the ways she knew to hurt someone without leaving any evidence. She looked at Ron from the corner of her eye and was fairly sure he’d let it go just this once.

“Right. A brief quiz to ascertain just how much knowledge you have retained over the years. Mr Malfoy, the best way to repel a magical attack if you please?”

Not once in the twenty fast paced minutes that followed did Snape call on any of Durus Catenatus house although Ron did get another five points deducted for looking at Snape in an offensive manner. Twice.

“Well, obviously there is some work to be done to bring you all up to an acceptable level.” Snape nodded in satisfaction to Crabbe as he finally finished mumbling the answer to the last question. “Excellent. Ten points to Slytherin. Now, I think a practical demonstration of your skills.” His black eyes glittered as he made a show of selecting his victim. “Mr Angel, if you would oblige me?”

Connor looked up from his desk where he had been half-heartedly mentally going over his training session from the previous evening. Harry jumped up from his seat, “No! That’s not fair, you know he doesn’t know any magic!”

“Silence!” Snape looked altogether too pleased with himself, “Another ten points from your house for being rude and consistently annoying, Potter.”

Connor stood, “It’s alright, Harry.” He grinned at Dawn and winked, “I don’t mind.”

The class was silent as he made his way to the front and stopped before Snape to cross his arms and look calmly at the Professor. Snape smirked, “No weapons, Mr Angel.”

“No weapons.” Connor took his robes off and revealed a short-sleeved white shirt and grey trousers. “Just me.” Dawn began to smile.

“In the cupboard in the corner is a boggart. It is an extremely unpleasant creature. Defend yourself.” Hermione gasped and made to stand up but Dawn grabbed her arm and shook her head. This should be good.

Connor watched as Snape crossed to the cupboard and tugged open the door to reveal…Connor. The entire class joined Hermione in gasping as the double stepped from the depths of the dark space and into the light. Dawn frowned briefly and then her face relaxed into understanding as the double’s face rippled and vampire Connor stood before them. Their worst fears, they were facing their worst fears. Some rather impressive screams bounced off the high ceiling.

Connor took a step back before he could stop himself, then stopped and pursed his lips thoughtfully, “Huh.” His eyes skipped to look at Snape, “Cute.”

Harry stood up, “Connor, it feeds off your worst fears. The only way to defeat it is with a spell!”

Connor’s eyes cut to all sides as he looked for weapons, “Really?” His voice was mildly curious as he forced his muscles to un-tense and not betray the sudden rush of anxiety he felt at the manifestation of his worst, primal nightmare, “What’s the spell?”

Harry danced on his toes in frustration and ignored the sharp command from Professor Snape to shut up, “You can’t use it! You’re a mu…”

Connor looked unmoved. “Yeah, I’m a muggle. What’s the damned spell?”

“Ridikulous!”

“I know it is. What’s the spell I need?” Connor moved cautiously backwards as the boggart moved towards him and kept his eyes firmly on his own distorted demonic face.

Harry groaned, “No, the spell is Ridikulous. You have to think of something not scary and say the charm.”

“Silence, Potter!” Snape’s voice cracked angrily through the room, “Let the muggle defend himself.”

“Right.” Connor nodded his understanding to Harry, “Gotcha.” He reached without looking and snatched Goyle’s wand from where it lay before him on the desk and waved it half-heartedly, “Ridiculous.” He tossed the wand back to its owner and gave an exaggerated shrug, “Guess I’ll just have to try it my way. Oh well.”

Dawn’s grin grew wider and she nudged Ron, “Ten knuts on Connor for a knockout.”

“What?” Ron took his eyes off the scene playing out at the front of the class for a second and stared at Dawn, “What?”

“Ten knuts on Connor for a knockout.” A smack of flesh on flesh and a shrill scream from the front of the room had them both turning back to the action and Dawn pouting, “Dammit Connor, I’m trying to open a book here, slow it down a little!”

“Sorry sweetie.” Connor cart wheeled over the top of the boggart’s head and flicked it on the base of its neck with his thumb and forefinger, “Ugh, sticky. That better, hon?” He twitched his head to the side as the boggart reached for him and ducked under the outstretched arm, “Oops, you missed. Try again.”

Dawn stood up determined to prove once and for all to the assembled students and teacher that there was nothing weak or vulnerable about herself and Connor and the best way to do it as far as she was concerned was show them just what happened when you showed a member of the batpack or a Scoob a demon. But hopefully with less blood and guts. “Ok, five’ll get you ten that my boy there has the bogie on the ground inside a minute. Any takers?”

“Twenty points from your house, young lady!” Snape glared furiously at Dawn as she gave him an impudent smirk, “Gambling is strictly prohibited at this school.”

It felt like the room shook as Connor threw the howling boggart into the wall. Dawn turned away from Snape as it tried to scramble to it’s feet and make a run for it’s cupboard and shrugged, “Fine. Looks like he’s nearly done anyway.”

Connor grinned and muttered, “Not quite.” He lined up the panicked boggart in his sights and took firm hold of Professor Snape’s desk. With one quick tug he pulled it up and over his head and threw it after the screaming creature.

Parchment, ink and books went flying and then the five foot long, ancient oak desk weighing in at over two hundred pounds smashed into the boggart and there was a sad, wet splat.

Connor dusted off his hands, “Now I’m done.” He sauntered across the class and used his toe to hook a large splinter of wood into the air and snatch it in one hand. With the other he leaned down and rummaged through the pile of broken wood until he found what he was looking for and hauled a very sorry looking vampire Connor up onto its toes. The Boggart yelped and twisted away from Connor’s hold, jumped into its cupboard and slammed the door shut. After a pause there came the faint sound of a key turning. From the inside.

Connor tossed the sliver of wood in his hand over his shoulder and banged sharply on the side of the cupboard, “I’ll be keeping my eye out for you.” The sound of muffled yelp and then sobbing came from behind the wooden door, “I see you again and I’ll make it hurt. More.”

“What did you do?” Snape strode forward and grabbed Connor’s shoulder to spin him round. He thrust his face into Connor’s and shouted, “What did you do?”

Connor wiped stray flecks of spittle off his face, “I defended myself as instructed. Sir.” He nodded towards the ruined desk, “It was getting away and I used my surroundings to help me win. Sorry.” The wolfish grin on his face made it clear that he was anything but sorry. “That’s my defence against the dark arts. I hurt them.” Connor’s eyes found Ron’s grinning face and he shrugged, “I would have killed it but I understand that’s frowned on here.”

“You destroyed my classroom!” Snape was actually shaking with anger.

Connor took a slow look around the silent room. The white-faced students, the relieved and ecstatic faces of his own house, Dawn doing a victory dance at the back of the room and finally the shattered pile of wood on the floor and the heavy sobbing from the cupboard. “Well, yeah.” He cocked his head to the side. “The Destroyer. Clue’s kinda in the name.” Connor looked to Dawn as she wiggled happily in celebration, “Why are people always surprised by that?”

Dawn shrugged as she shook her booty, “Beats me.” A smug, triumphant smile was flashed at the room in general, “Bet they’ll remember it now.”

  
  


* * *

It was Saturday afternoon and after a heavy morning’s slayer training Dawn and Connor were standing with Harry, Ron and Hermione on Hogwarts’ quidditch pitch beside two broom sticks.

Dawn stared up at the bright blue sky and then down at the long, thin piece of wood at her feet. “You want me to go up there?” Harry and Ron nodded. Dawn poked the broomstick with her toe, “On that?” Harry and Ron nodded again. “Oh, I don’t think so.” Dawn backed away, waving her hands in horror, “I’ve got this thing about heights. Funny story. Big tower, crazed god trying to sacrifice me. Remind me to tell you sometime. On the ground. Bye!”

Connor’s iron grip stopped her making a break for the school, “Chicken.”

“Damn straight. Cluck, cluck. Want me to lay you an egg?” Dawn twisted her arm trying to shake her boyfriend loose, “You’re meant to be on my side, remember?”

  
  


Connor slipped his other arm around Dawn’s waist and hoisted her off her feet, “I am on your side. We agreed you’d try this.”

“That’s was before I remembered just how far apart the ground and the sky are!” Dawn squirmed like a landed fish, “I like the ground. We have a very strong relationship, practically going steady, exclusive you could say.” Her green eyes were wide as she stared imploringly at Connor, “I don’t want to break up with it.”

“If she doesn’t want to you shouldn’t make her.” Hermione tucked her hands into her jeans’ pockets and pursed her lips, “I don’t see why this is so important.”

Connor glanced at the brown-haired girl between Ron and Harry, “Because this is an advantage and we should utilise it. If I could do it I would.”

Ron nodded and winced as he rubbed at his shoulder, “And I let you hit me with a big stick for an hour this morning. You owe me.”

“I hit you with a big stick on the ground!” Dawn pushed against Connor’s restraining arms, “And that was combat training. This is…well, I don’t know what this is but I’m not doing it.”

Connor sighed, “Give us a minute.” He hauled his protesting girlfriend off a few feet and then set her down, keeping a firm grip on her shoulders, “What’s the problem? You’ll let me throw you in the air at the drop of a pointy hat but not give this a go. That isn’t like you, Dawn.”

“Oh yeah, it is. Totally like me.” Dawn looked anxiously back at the broom on the ground and then back at Connor with a shudder, “You threw me and I knew you’d catch me. I get on that and I fall off, what happens?”

Connor pushed a lock of hair from her face as the autumn breeze whipped it into her eyes, “I catch you again, just like I always do.” He smiled, “Do you doubt me?”

Dawn leaned into his palm, “Of course not. You, I have complete faith in. Me, I uber doubt.”

“Well you shouldn’t.” Connor wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, “I know that you can do this, and if it makes the difference between life and death someday then you have to know it too.”

Dawn leaned into his quiet strength, “You know, sometimes you’re an awfully big monkey on my back.” Her eyes closed as he chuckled and stroked her hair, “I wish that you could be up there with me.”

“Me too.” Connor looked wistfully at the broom for a moment and sighed deeply, “Looks like fun.” He pulled her away from his chest and gave her a bracing grin, “But I can’t go up there with you so you’ll just have to trust that I’ll be down here waiting for you if you fall.”

“Great.” Dawn shook herself and squared her shoulders, “Let’s get this over with. You’ll still love me if I knock all my teeth out, right?”

“Absolutely.” Connor nodded gravely, “Just don’t expect me to chew your food for you.”

Dawn shot him a glare and walked to Harry’s side, “Ok, launch me.”

Harry smothered a smile at her unhappy demand and placed his outstretched palm over his Nimbus on the ground. “Place your hand over the broomstick and say ‘Up’ clearly.”

Dawn stood next to her own broom, “Up!” The broom shot off the floor and into her palm with a hard smack, “Ow! Goddamn it!” Dawn wrapped her slightly numbed fingers around the smooth wood and gritted her teeth, “Now what?”

Harry threw his leg over his own broom and gripped the wood between his thighs with practised ease, “Mount it and find where it’s most comfortable.”

“And I have never been more glad that Anya is an ocean away than at this moment.” Dawn muttered reflectively under her breath as she avoided looking at Connor’s sudden grin and Ron’s frantic coughing fit as Hermione kicked his ankle, “Ok, now what?”

“Grip the shaft firmly…” Harry felt his face heat dramatically as Ron and Connor both choked and stared fixedly at the sky while Hermione suddenly found her fingernails extremely interesting, “And kick off gently from the ground and hover. Like this.” He demonstrated as Ron fought to bring his attack of the sniggers under control. “See?”

Dawn studied Harry and then looked longingly at the ground before nodding, “Right.” She clenched her jaw and kicked off, stifling a shriek as the broom took off and then thankfully hovered a few feet above the ground. She gripped the hard wood between her palms like a lifeline and wobbled on the broom as she tried to find her balance.

“No, no, no.” Harry shook his head and took both hands off his broom to lean across and adjust Dawn’s position, “You have all your weight in the middle, you need to extend your arms like this and move your bum back a few inches…” He paused aware that his hand was on Dawn’s right flank and that Connor’s eyes appeared to be burning a hole in the side of his head. His hand jerked back as though Dawn had bitten him and he flushed scarlet again. “Sorry.”

Dawn wobbled again, “What?” Her eyes flicked to Harry’s face and then back down to her broom as her balance wavered suddenly, “What do I do now?”

“Take your feet and hook them back over the bristles. Like an anchor, see?” Harry responded to Dawn’s panicked question instinctively and forgot all about the protective homicidal boyfriend with supernatural speed and the ability to forge weapons out of innocuous everyday furniture. “Use the top of your feet and keep them firm against the bristles. You need to find your centre of gravity and balance from there.”

Ron watched as Harry slowly led Dawn on a very shaky lap of the Quidditch pitch, “Y’know, I think she may actually turn out to be even worse than you on a broom, Herm.” He nudged an affectionate elbow into his scowling friend’s ribs, “I didn’t think that was possible.”

“Get stuffed, Ron.” Hermione winced as she watched Dawn slowly topple to the side and then finish her u-turn clinging like a monkey to the underside of her broom, long hair sweeping the ground below her. “Merlin, I think you might be right.” She glanced apologetically at Connor, “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Connor sighed with disappointment as his grand plans of air borne attacks against their enemies died a fiery, screaming death, “And you suck on a broom too?”

“I do not suck…” Hermione caught Ron’s eye and her shoulders slumped slightly, “Ok. So I’m not the most coordinated person in the air.”

Ron put a casual, friendly arm around Hermione’s thin shoulders and ignored Connor’s knowing grin, “It’s nice to know you’re human enough to suck at something, Herm. Perfection isn’t as attractive as some people think.” He smiled down into her indignant eyes and moved his arm into a neck grip as he ruffled her hair, “Besides, now you have something in common.”

All three looked as Harry and Dawn pulled up besides them and Dawn fell off her broom with a yelp. Hermione looked outraged, “We do not! I was never that bad.”

“Hey!”

Hermione looked down at Dawn’s reproachful face on the floor, “Sorry, Dawn.”

Dawn climbed to her feet and poked the still hovering broom, “I think we can safely say this is a wash out.”

“Nonsense. You just need some practice.” Harry’s broom was weaving backwards and forwards through the air as though anxious to take to the sky.

“Why don’t you show me how it’s done then?” Dawn glared at her friend, “If it’s that easy.”

“I thought you’d never ask!” She was knocked out of the way as Ron leapt for her broom and he and Harry kicked off into the sky like bullets.

“Oh now you’ve done it.” Hermione shaded her eyes with her hand as she stared after the two shrinking figures, “They’ll be up there for hours now.”

Dawn and Connor stared with open mouths as Harry and Ron dodged and weaved through the air with the grace and precision of ballet dancers. High altitude, high speed, non-dancing dancers, but dancers none-the-less. Xtreme ballet.

“Oh my god.” Dawn swallowed and whispered faintly, “They’re going to die.”

Harry and Ron pointed their brooms directly at each other, coming in at eye- blurring speed and then at the last moment one took the high road and one took the low with shouts of glee as they were buffeted by the other’s slipstream.

“You’d think wouldn’t you?” Hermione watched with fond resignation as Harry came at Ron from the side, went under his broom and then looped around to fly off upside down waving Ron’s shoe triumphantly over his head, “Wait until you see them play Quidditch.” She took her hand from her face and stared at Dawn sadly, “Except you won’t. I keep forgetting they can’t play now.”

Dawn winced, “Ouch.” She took Hermione’s hand apologetically, “I’m so sorry. You guys have given up so much.”

Hermione shrugged, “We did what we had to do.” She smiled as she remembered that morning in their training room when she had thrown Ron six feet when he attacked her from behind, “Besides it’s not all bad. Learning to defend myself is a big plus.” She frowned as Dawn’s eyes widened suddenly, “What?”

Connor grabbed Dawn and pulled her to the side as Ron came out of nowhere with an evil grin and snatched Hermione off her feet to carry her screaming with surprise into the sky in a steep vertical climb. Connor grinned as he watched Hermione’s frantically kicking feet and her arms clutch tightly at Ron as he banked in mid-air and took off after Harry, “I really want one of those.”

  
  


* * *

Ginny was ensconced in a corner of the library getting a jump on her divinations homework when Draco found her. Not that he’d been looking. He’d just found himself unexpectedly restless in the Slytherin common room that Saturday afternoon and the prospect of fighting off Pansy’s attentions for the rest of the day was unappealing to say the least. And he’d curse anyone that said when he found out that the rest of Ginny’s house was outside, leaving her somewhere in the school unprotected, he’d left his common room so fast that he actually blurred when he shot out the door.

He stood for a moment out of sight and watched her as she frowned over an astrological chart and then scribbled notes down on the parchment by her hand. Her orange hair hung in a shining curtain around her face, concealing her scar, and the deep blue of her simple top complemented her pale skin and vivid hair beautifully in the bright sunlight that streamed through the domed ceiling. Cheap and old though said top was.

Draco looked around himself as Ginny stood up without seeing him and browsed along the shelf behind her until grabbing a book with a grunt of satisfaction and carrying it back to her seat. Excellent, aside from Madam Pince they were alone in the cavernous library, most students taking advantage of the pleasant weather outside or safely tucked away in their common rooms with their friends. He waited until Ginny was re-seated, engrossed in her new text and then slipped round the corner and up behind her. He leaned close to her unsuspecting ear and said silkily, “Alone at last, Weasel.” The suave manner lasted exactly a second until Ginny’s head flew up in surprise and cracked him on the nose.

“Ow! Merdin buddy fuck!” Draco stumbled backwards clutching his throbbing face as Ginny jumped up and grabbed the back of her now aching head, “Whad the stoddin hell did you do dat for?”

Ginny grabbed her wand off the table and pointed it at the tall, swearing Slytherin, “What did I do? What the hell are you playing at sneaking up on me?” She darted backwards as Malfoy straightened and looked furiously at her, making sure to put the width of the reading table between them, “And don’t even think about cursing me or I’ll make you sorry.”

“Really? And what makes you think that you’re any match for me?” Draco pulled the shattered pieces of his dignity around him, looking as forbidding and evil as he knew how.

Ginny’s eyebrow went up as she said smugly, “Well, for a start, I’m not the one bleeding all down the front of my expensive shirt.” She smiled mockingly, “Good job it’s black.”

Forbidding and evil dissolved before the flamethrower of furious and humiliated. “What?” Malfoy wiped a hand under his now thankfully numb nose and stared in disbelief at his reddened skin, “You made me bleed!”

“And I’ll do it again.” Ginny waved her wand threateningly at the older boy, “Just give me a reason.”

“Miss Weasley!” Ginny jumped and thrust her wand behind her back as Madam Pince hurried up, attracted by Draco’s pained yell, “What’s going on here?” The elderly professor looked suspiciously at the bleeding prefect and then at the small, slender girl flushed with guilt, “Are you alright?”

Draco’s mouth fell open. Alright? Just who was bleeding their life’s blood all over themselves exactly?

“Oh y…yes, th…thank you, Madam.” Ginny darted a look at Malfoy and then back at the librarian, “We were just…Malfoy was…he…”

“I tripped over a chair and hit my face on the bookshelf, Madam. Weasley was making sure I was alright.” Draco pulled a spotless handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his nose adding bitterly, “And I am. Fine. In case you were concerned. At all.”

From the look on her face it was clear that Madam Pince was neither believed his story or was in the least concerned about the prefect’s health. “Is that true, my dear?” She smiled gently at Ginny, “Is that what happened?”

Ginny looked at Malfoy who glared meaningfully at her behind the librarian’s back and then nodded, “Yes. That’s what happened.”

Madam Pince turned to stare suspiciously at Malfoy who returned the look with one of injured innocence and then nodded reluctantly, “Very well. I shall be at my desk if you need me.”

There was a long silence as they watched the woman return to her desk and re-settle herself with her beloved books and then Ginny said quietly, “Are you really alright?” She gestured to Malfoy’s smeared and swollen face “Is it sore?”

“I’m bleeding.” Draco glared over the top of his now stained linen at Ginny, “What do you think?”

“Well you shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.” Ginny hesitated for a moment and then moved round the table, “Here, sit down and let me take a look.” She rolled her eyes at his suspicious face, “Oh don’t be so wet. Sit down.”

Draco found himself tugged into Ginny’s vacated chair and her small hands on his face as she tipped his head back and peered at his nose. “Where does it hurt?”

“OW!” Draco hurriedly moved his head out of reach as Ginny tweaked none-to-gently at his nose, “Watch it!”

“Don’t be such a baby.” Ginny took the bloody handkerchief from his hands and tipped his head back as she pressed the cloth against his nostrils, “You’ve had worse than this when you’ve played Quidditch, I’ve seen it.” She took the cloth away and looked at his face, “There the bleeding’s stopped. What a load of fuss about nothing.”

  
  
  


Malfoy blinked as she squeezed the back of his head lightly and smiled at him, “You should probably go to the hospital wing to get something for the swelling.” Ginny tapped his cheek lightly, like she would Ron or Harry, and moved away to perch on the edge of the table, “I’m sorry I hurt you.” Her brow wrinkled as he continued to stare blankly at her, “Malfoy? Are you alright?” Ginny felt a stab of concern, “Can you hear me? Is your vision blurred?”

Draco frowned. Who the hell was this Malfoy character she was talking to? He could still feel the heat of her fingers on his skin and any other concerns were lost in the horrifying realisation that he had the mother of all crushes on Ginny Weasley of all people. He tried to swallow and calm his racing heart.

It just wasn’t possible. Ok, he could admit to having a faint, very faint, grudging respect for her after she had helped him rescue Snape last term and fought so courageously at the battle for Hogwarts, but to actually have feelings for the girl? The concern he had felt for her at the first breakfast of the term had been chalked up to a moment’s madness and he had very firmly put it in the box in his mind marked ‘Things Never, Ever, To Be Thought About Or Admitted To. Ever.’

Ginny watched in confusion as he leapt up from his chair and actually back away from her, “Stay the fuck away from me, Weasel.”

“Wh…what?” Ginny followed him as he stumbled backwards and his usually pale face was drained to the point of transparency, “Malfoy, what is it?” She looked over her shoulder to make sure there was no nasty beastie lurking behind her as his eyes bugged in wild horror, “What’s the matter?”

“Don’t touch me!” Draco bounced off a bookshelf, finally got his shaking legs to listen to his screaming mind and practically ran out of the room, “I won’t forget this!”

“Forget what?” Ginny blinked, “I said sorry for hurting you. And I really think you should go to see Madam Pomfey!” Her voice rose to a shout and then she turned to look at Madam Pince as the librarian hurried up once more, “What did I do?”

  
  


* * *

Later that evening Dawn finished her latest letter to Buffy and Spike and signed off with a flourish. “That’s it. I’m going to the owlery. Connor, you done?”

Connor looked up from his own much shorter missive home, “Yeah.” He signed his name and stood up with a sigh, “I still don’t get why you can’t just ask Buffy to pass a message on for me.”

“Because this will make Angel and Cordy happy.” Dawn grabbed a light jacket off the back of her chair and made sure her wand was tucked into her jeans’ pocket, “Come on. Ron, we’ll be about twenty minutes.”

Ron looked up from where he and Hermione were engaged in a fierce game of wizarding chess by the curtained windows, “You want one of us to come with you?”

“No!” Connor tugged Dawn towards the door hurriedly, “It’s fine. Dawn’s got her wand if we have any problems.” The door slammed shut behind them and the re-opened as Connor’s head poked back through, “Make it half an hour.” He grinned and disappeared again.

Ron shook his head, “What was that about?” Hermione, who had caught Dawn’s smug grin as she was shoved through the door, gave him a pitying look and took his knight. With extreme prejudice.

  
  


* * *

Dawn stroked the top of her owl’s head and rubbed her cheek against its wing, “Hey, Gordo. How are you?” The grey owl clicked its beak affectionately at her and then screeched warningly at Connor as he joined them clutching his own bird in an unimpressed fist.

“It won’t wake up!” Connor shook the golden owl angrily and directed a dark look at Gordo, “This thing hates me.”

Dawn allowed Gordo to scramble up her arm to perch on her shoulder and then grabbed Connor’s arm and rescued the still peacefully snoozing bird, “Probably because you gave it brain damage. Be gentle.” She took the owl away from her boyfriend and smoothed its rumpled feathers, “Hey, little guy. Connor, you really need to think of a name for him soon.”

“Dead.” Connor folded his arms and snorted at Dawn’s glare, “What? It will be if it doesn’t start staying awake for more than just meals. I wasn’t kidding about the target practice you know.” Dawn giggled as she tickled the admittedly well-rounded tummy of Connor’s bird and Gordo stretched his wings to display his own sleek body. Connor rolled his eyes and took the owl back again, “Fine. Useless. I name you Useless the owl.” He made sure that his letter was strapped securely to the owl’s leg and then strode to the window and casually dropped the bird into the air.

“Connor!” Dawn dashed across the room and peered into the darkness, “What if it doesn’t wake up?” Gordo took off from Dawn’s shoulder and glided into the sky with an angry cry.

“Then I don’t get to use it for target practice.” Connor shrugged and leaned against the sill, “No big.”

“Oh thank God!” Dawn sighed with relief as the two owls coasted through the air suddenly and gave farewell hoots before flying off across the top of the forest. She punched Connor’s arm, “That was mean.”

Connor waggled his eyebrows and shook his head in disagreement, “That was smart. I knew the damn thing would wake up before it hit the ground. It’s a bird for god’s sake!” He edged a little closer to Dawn, “And now we’re all alone. Together. For the first time in days.”

Dawn eyed him in amusement as he leered at her, “And you’re thinking what exactly? We should get down and dirty under a hundred nesting birds?” She looked pointedly at the school owls overhead and then at the dubious marks on the floor and sighed dramatically, “I just can’t understand why I’m not ripping your clothes off as we speak.”

“Me either.” Connor hooked a finger in her waistband and backed away towards the corner of the room and a small wooden door. He reached behind him and twisted the knob to reveal a tiny room with a pile of broken chairs and some blankets on the floor. “Which is why I’m so glad I found this the other day.”

Dawn laughed as he wrapped his arms around her and spun her through the air before taking them both onto the blankets, “This is why I love you. An answer for everything.”

Connor’s fingers crept under the hem of her top and she shivered, “So, want to get down and dirty with me now?”

Dawn nodded, “Oh yeah.” A sudden grin flashed across her face, “Make it good, Romeo. We’re on a clock.”


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Halloween.**

A few weeks later and their world hadn’t noticeably improved. True the stealth attacks and nasty curses flying from all directions had ceased after Dawn had beat the tar out of Crabbe and Goyle when they decided to jump her one night when she had been hurrying back from a late meeting with Professor Dumbledore. Nearly the whole school had been attracted by the screams and howling as they had attacked her near the Great Hall and it was a very thoughtful student body that had gone to their beds that night.

Particularly after Connor had been heard to answer Hermione’s worried inquiry as to whether he should do something to help and he had turned to her with a look of blank astonishment and asked why he should rush to aid of a pair of bullying cowards like the unhappy Slytherins. And then proceeded to laugh his ass off when Dawn rammed Goyle head first into a suit of armour and smack the wobbling ass as it wriggled and squirmed in a bid to be free.

Classes were hard, Hermione had driven everyone crazy drawing up study schedules and homework groups until Connor had blown in self defence and locked her in his wardrobe for an hour in a bid for some peace. Dawn had finally managed to get the key from her boyfriend and released the scarlet and furious Hermione and it was a very lucky Connor that went to bed that night as a human rather than as a tub of custard. They seemed to be constantly in class, doing homework, working with Dawn to get her up to speed on magic, training until they could no longer stand with the tireless Connor or helping with Dawn’s forays into inter-dimensional portals. Harry had been almost too busy to realise that the Quidditch season had started but in the end he spent the afternoon of the first match of the season staring longingly out of the boys’ windows at the distant figures of the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor teams and then sunk into a funk that lasted three days when Gryffindor were trounced by their opponents and were beaten a massive 260 points to 90.

Now it was All Hallow’s Eve and the three girls of Durus Catenatus, or the ‘Budgies’ as the rest of the school had unkindly nicknamed them after seeing their mascot of the phoenix, sat in their common room and enjoyed their first afternoon of the term where they didn’t have a single thing to do.

Hermione sighed as she stared out of the common room window at the driving rain and the light fading from the October sky. “I am so bored.”

Ginny looked up from where she was half-heartedly playing exploding snap with Dawn and gave her own gusty sigh, “Tell me about it. I can’t believe that Dumbledore refused us permission to go to Hogsmeade this year.” She picked at a hole on her denim-clad thigh as she muttered, “And its not like we have any friends that will pick us anything up.”

Hermione sighed, “Its not like he had a lot of choice, Gin. From what the Daily Prophet’s been reporting Voldemort’s supporters have really started coming out of the woodwork. The last thing we need is to all go into the village and then get attacked by Death Eaters.” She gestured at Dawn, “And it’s unlikely that he knows who Dawn is yet. Imagine if she was taken along with us and we handed him the very person he’s searching for. Plus, away from school and the teachers, the other houses might have some ideas about getting funny with us again.” Hermione shrugged as the other two girls raised their eyebrows at her, “You know what I mean. Funnier than they have been. At least with the entire school pretending we don’t exist we stand a chance of making it through to the end of term without getting hexed by any of our supposed friends.”

Ginny cupped a hand around her jaw and sighed, “I know. But…it’s Hogsmeade.”

Dawn smiled sympathetically, “What did you need?”

“Need? Oh, I didn’t need anything.” Ginny shoved her hair back as it fell in her face, “I want half a dozen chocolate frogs, some of Bott’s beans, a look at the new dress robes and then several butterbeers.” The last of the cards exploded, “What I have is a piece of mouldy cheese and a half-chewed cockroach cluster. Yum.”

“Cheese?” Hermione turned away from the window and stared at Ginny, “Mouldy cheese?”

“Dobby.” Ginny shrugged and smiled, “He does his best but the other elves like him about as much the other houses like us and the kitchen scraps are pretty grim from that direction.”

“Things are pretty grim all round.” Hermione flopped her bottom down on the window seat and wrapped her arms around her raised knees, “These last few weeks have been hard on all of us.”

Dawn rubbed ruefully at her black eye, “You aren’t kidding. That damn demon got me good this morning.” That Saturday morning had been the latest in her sessions with Professor Dumbledore to develop her powers as the key and it hadn’t gone well. The attempt to open and hold a link to an uninhabited island in the Pacific had in fact resulted in opening a doorway to an unknown dimension that was inhabited by really big demons with a lot of arms and major issues towards the bipedal. To say the thing that came through the portal was pissed would be a slight understatement.

Thankfully Connor had been standing by with a sharp sword and an axe before the demon had done any more damage then smacking Dawn into the wall of their training room and snatching the Professor’s hat before cramming it into his mouth in lieu of the nimble old man as he dodged out of the way. They’d be scrubbing demon guts out of the training mat a month from now.

Dawn, the thought of Willow’s brush with dark magics always lurking at the back of her mind, had refused to be treated by Madam Pomfrey, insisting that she be left alone and that her eye had to be allowed to heal naturally. She was especially conscious of her own use of magic and made sure wherever possible that she did things the muggle way. Which now meant that she had to attend the Halloween feast with a bruised face and her left eye swollen shut.

“Does it hurt badly?” Ginny made to stand up, “I could make you a potion. Just for pain relief.” Ginny was well aware of Dawn’s uneasiness about interfering magically with the natural order of things after the last long, lonely weeks at school and it was a source of great private satisfaction to Professor Dumbledore that his plan had worked and strong bonds had been forged between all the Budgies in their enforced isolation.

“Nah.” Dawn motioned Ginny back down, “I’m just antsy.” She smirked at the pounding rain, “I wonder if the boys are having fun.” Connor had lead the miserable Harry and Ron into the rain two hours before for combat training, claiming that the rain was a good opportunity to see how they performed in difficult conditions. Dawn had been excused on account of her suspiciously sudden headache when Connor had suggested the practice and Hermione and Ginny had both been at the library and safely out of reach.

“I bet they’re soaking.” Hermione pressed her face to the window and shivered, “It looks so wet and cold out there.”

“Oh dear.” Ginny stretched her socked feet towards the roaring fire and wiggled them happily, “What a shame.” She was still smarting from an earlier argument with Ron involving her wand, two pounds of sugar and the impracticalities of turning Professor Snape into a human lollipop. Honestly, it wasn’t like the man couldn’t use a little sweetening and it was Halloween! And since when was Ronald Jonathan Weasley afraid of a pulling a prank on a teacher?

“Don’t be petty, Gin.” Dawn wagged a finger at the grinning girl and bounced to her feet, “It doesn’t become you.” Ignoring Ginny’s tongue as it was stuck out at her Dawn pulled her boots on, “I fancy a walk. Anyone want to come down to the hall and watch the duelling club?”

Ginny shook her head as Hermione nodded and grabbed her own boots, “Nope. I’m going to stay here and wait for Ron to come back and look extra-specially warm and cosy by the fire.” Her heart raced painfully in her chest and she sent a fervent prayer heavenwards that she didn’t look as guilty as she felt.

Hermione checked to make sure her wand was securely in her pocket and smiled at Ginny, “Are you sure? I dare say he won’t be pleasant when he gets in.”

“Is he ever?” Ginny made a shooing motion, “Honestly, I really can’t be bothered, you two go on.”

Dawn patted her own wand and nodded as she followed Hermione, “Ok, remind Connor that its dress robes tonight will you?” The two girls raised a hand in farewell and the door closed behind them. Ginny sat for a few moments and then when she was certain they’d gone stood up and raced up the stairs to the boy’s dormitories.

  
  
  
  


* * *

Connor held out a hand to Ron on the ground, “You ok?”

Ron gripped the other boy’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, wincing at the sucking sound as his body parted company with the gungy ground, “Bloody marvellous. Can’t tell you how much I enjoy being knocked flat on my arse for the ninth time in a row.”

Connor grinned, “You’ll get used to it.”

“Great.” Ron wiped ineffectual hands down his legs in a bid to try and scrape some of the mud off his jeans, “Please tell me that’s it now.” He looked miserable in the driving rain with his hair plastered to his head and covered in black mud from head to foot. Although there was no denying that the intensive training sessions he and the others were undergoing with Connor and Dawn were really starting to pay off, Ron was really starting to question the obsession Connor had with training them in every conceivable weather and situation. Rain, sun, howling autumn gales, the dead of night, bright sunshine and the never to be forgotten day when Connor had them flying at full throttle through the edge of the forbidden forest while he fired arrows at them to test their reflexes, all good training, all totally exhausting.

Connor looked from Ron and then the equally bedraggled Harry by his side and smiled sympathetically, “Yeah. We’re done.” He rolled his shoulders and eyed the lights in the castle windows that looked even more welcoming than usual from his position in the pounding rain. “We should go get cleaned up before…” His head snapped round suddenly and he peered towards the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, just visible in the gloom.

Ron and Harry exchanged worried looks and moved to Connor’s side. Ron spoke in a low voice, “What is it?” In one hand he gripped his wand and in the other the wooden stake that he and Harry had been training with for the last two hours.

“I don’t know…” Connor tried to shake the feeling of unease but his senses were screaming at him to pay attention to them, “I think I can…oh hell.”

Harry’s heart plummeted to his squelching boots, “Why does that not fill me with confidence?”

“Dammit.” Connor pointed towards the forest, “Do you see them?”

“See what?” Ron stared frantically into the darkness, “I don’t see anything, You’re just mucking about, right?”

“Connor.” Harry’s voice was low and filled with anxiety, “I see them.”

“What? See what?” Then Ron realised that Harry was facing in a completely different direction to Connor and his head turned to stare towards the Quidditch pitch, “Oh fuck.”

“It’s started.” Connor eyed the group of twenty or so vampires that were emerging from the forest and then glanced at the similar sized group that was advancing from the quidditch pitch. “He’s made his move.”

Ron looked up into the sky and pointed at the Dark Mark that hung in the sky over where he hazarded Hogsmeade should be, “Look.”

Connor and Harry glanced up. “What is it?” Connor frowned and then moved his eyes hastily back to the approaching demons.

“The Dark Mark. They’re attacking the village.” Harry swallowed and gripped his stake, “What do we do?”

“You’ve had the training, you’re ready for this.” Connor kept his voice low and calm, “You know what we have to do.”

“I’m really hoping you’re going to say run.” Ron swallowed unhappily as the sounds of demon snarls reached the three boys.

Connor’s mouth twitched in a cold smile and then he sighed as a white-faced boy was pulled out of the group of vampires coming out of the forest, “Not quite. They have a hostage.” He risked a look at the vampires advancing on his other side and saw that they had two terrified looking girls with them, “Make that three hostages. Why?”

Harry thought furiously for a moment, “Hogwarts is a residence, people live here. They needed an invite.”

“Shit.” Ron met the eyes of one of the girls and realised she was a fourth year Gryffindor that he had once played chess with on a rainy night much like this. “It’s alright, everything will be alright.”

The vampire holding the girl grinned at the Head Boy, flashing his fangs and teeth, “Guess again, fellas.” All three boys shouted in protest as the vampire raised a hand and ripped the girl’s throat out before their eyes. The girl stood stock still for a moment and raised her hand to her throat, blinking in shock as black blood spilled over her fingers and then her eyes rolled in her head and she crumpled to the ground to lay still.

Ron moved faster than he ever moved before in his life. He whipped his wand through the air and bellowed, “Amandatio Remedium!” The girl was snatched off the grounds by invisible hands and then hurtled through the air towards the school and away from the startled vampires.

“What the hell was that?” Connor tensed for the coming fight as he hissed at Ron out of the corner of his mouth, “Where did you send her?”

“Hospital wing.” Ron fought back the rising bile in his throat as he stared at the sobbing girl still left with the vampires, “They might be able to do something for her.”

Connor stayed silent for a moment and then said quietly, “They might not.”

“Either way we couldn’t leave her lying there.” Harry shook off the terrible fear and shock he felt at the vampire’s attack and forced himself to think calmly, “And we still have two hostages to set free. Connor?”

Connor was too busy frowning at the hooded figures that were appearing behind the vampires, “They’re new.” He sniffed the air, “And I think they’re human.”

Ron glanced back and blanched, “No they aren’t. They’re Death Eaters. Connor, we need help, we don’t stand a chance with only the three of us.”

Though it went against the grain for Connor to admit defeat, much less before so much as a punch had been thrown, he was forced to concede that Ron had a point. They were outnumbered at least twelve to one by his hasty calculations and despite his calm statement to Ron and Harry they were nowhere near ready to attempt a win against the vampires against those kind of odds. “Ok. Can we free the hostages?”

Harry thought quickly, “Yes. We can do that. Be ready to create some kind of diversion.” He lowered his voice and whispered to Ron, “Ready? To Dumbledore.” Ignoring the approaching Death Eaters Harry shouted, “Now, Connor!” He didn’t even get to finish the words before Connor launched himself at the demons with a yell as Ron and Harry pointed a wand each at the two hostages and screamed, “Amandatio Dumbledore!”

The effect was instantaneous and dramatic; the two hostages were ripped away from their captors and shot into the night sky, screaming with terror as they hurtled towards the school. Ron drew breath and then bellowed, “Incendio!” Flames shot from the end of his wand and blasted the foremost vampires as they advanced towards the boys and the night was suddenly alive with the whirling, blazing bodies and the screams of the demons as they died.

Harry ran after Connor and kicked out at a vampire as it reached for him, “Incendio!” The demon burst into flames and spun in panic, crashing into another demon behind it, “Connor, get down.” Connor dropped instantly to the floor at Harry’s yell and covered his head as another burst of flame shot over his head; he rolled to the side and jumped to his feet staring wildly about him and then somersaulted through the air to land next to Harry and grabbed his arm before running back to Ron’s side.

All around them were vampires screaming with pain and bursting in explosions of ash as they died from the boys’ spells. The Death Eaters were easing closer, still behind the protective wall of vampires but their wands were drawn and ready in their hands. Connor stared around himself, “Why aren’t they trying to kill us?” He punched away a grasping vampire and then kicked another in the face as it reached for him, “Why aren’t they using magic?”

Ron set another demon alight, “I don’t know. Don’t give them any bloody ideas!”

Harry backed away as a vampire grabbed at him, “They don’t want to kill us. They want us alive.” His eyes widened as a Death Eater raised its wand and he reacted instinctively. “Expelliarmus!” The wand flew into the night, “Or maybe they’re waiting till they get clear shots. Connor, we can’t take them all.”

Connor spun into a blur of fists and feet as he took on two vampires that got a little too close in the ever-shrinking circle around the boys, “Get out of here! I’ll hold them off as long as I can.”

“NO.” Ron struck out with his stake and growled as he missed the vampire’s heart and lost his weapon as the demon pulled back with it still stuck in his shoulder, “We aren’t leaving you.” He was shivering with terror and cold but his face was set as he looked around him, “We stay together.”

Connor punched another vampire, “Then we get taken together, you idiot. Get out of here.” He ducked a clawed hand and winced as another demon landed a kick in his ribs, “GO!”

“HARRY!” Harry’s head jolted up at the sound of a hoarse scream and he felt his mouth drop open as a hooded figure bore down on them from above on a broom and clutching another in his hand.

“Bloody hell!” Ron forced his eyes away from their would-be saviour hurtling towards them and snapped his wand through the air once more, “Incendio!” Demons exploded into flames all around them as Harry and Ron provided covering fire for the rescue attempt and Connor went into overdrive to cull the snarling mob. The person on the broom pulled out of his steep dive and flew straight through the screaming demons; swearing as he dodged blasts from Death Eater wands and threw the spare broom at Harry, “Go! Boy, give me your hand!”

Connor hesitated for a minute, saw Professor Dumbledore appear behind the Death Eaters and then the rest of the faculty were suddenly beside him. “Boy, come on!”

“Connor!” Connor saw Ron and Harry already astride their broom and still blasting fire at the demons as their teachers began to engage the Death Eaters. Connor ran for the other broom and swung himself up behind the figure, “Go!” The brooms took off from the ground, slightly slower than usual thanks to their unusually heavy loads and ascended into the sky surrounded by hastily aimed curses from the desperate Death Eaters. Connor stared back over his shoulder and his eyes widened as he caught sight of the main entrance to the school and the flood of bodies bursting through the doors.

“Harry, Ron, we have to get to the school!” Connor was afraid for a minute that his words had been torn away in the slipstream and then he saw Ron turn and stare behind him and yell urgently in Harry’s ear. Harry tugged sharply at the broom handle between his thighs and sent them hurtling back towards the school. Connor clutched grimly at the person controlling his own broomstick as they went after his friends and followed them to the besieged castle.

  
  
  


* * *

Ginny Weasley blinked in horror at the smirking boy before her. Bad enough she should get caught deep behind enemy lines but the shame of being caught by Draco Malfoy was enough to make her want to fall into the nearest hole and never see the light of the sun again.

The blond Slytherin grinned nastily at her, as she stood frozen in the dim lights of the Slytherin common room and, without taking his eyes from her white face, took his wand from his pocket and pointed it over his shoulder at the door behind him. Before Ginny could react he had spoken the words of a binding charm and the door glowed briefly as it locked itself against her. Malfoy smoothly returned his wand to the inside of his cloak and strolled over to a deep chair in front of the roaring fire, he sank down in its depths with a pleased sigh and leaned his head against the leather back. He allowed the silence to stretch for another few minutes before steepling his fingers under his chin and raising one perfectly shaped eyebrow, “Well?”

Ginny was torn between wanting to give herself completely to the panic that surged in her now she was at his mercy and the fear of exactly what Ron and the others were going to do to her when they found out about the night’s events. On balance she decided she was more worried by the immediate threat of the smirking evil guy than a possible brotherly beating some hours hence. She swallowed uneasily, although the chances of receiving the brotherly beating were growing slimmer every second she was at Malfoy’s dubious mercy.

_Ok, Ginny, think. What would Hermione or Dawn do in a situation like this?_

The red head’s fingers fluttered uneasily against her denim-clad legs, she shivered slightly inside the baggy hand me down sweater of Fred’s that she wore, sighing in irritation with herself.

_Well, for a start, they wouldn’t have been stupid enough to catch Harry’s invisibility cloak on a chair and have it fall off just as Draco Malfoy of all people was in exactly the right position to catch them breaking into the Slytherin common room. Idiot_.

Ginny gave another irritated sigh

_Good job, by the way. Really. Excellent work, Ginny._

She forced herself to stand tall under Malfoy’s cool speculative gaze and avoid looking at the invisibility cloak now pooled uselessly at her feet as she managed to say steadily, “What are you going to do?”

Malfoy’s nasty little smile widened until it was a great big grin, “Anything I want to.”

Ginny refused to acknowledge the shiver of apprehension that rippled down her spine and instead squared her shoulders to say, “My brother is going to bloody kill you.”

Malfoy continued looking at her coolly and then gave a cold little laugh, “I don’t think so.” He brushed some imaginary dust from his immaculate black robes and glanced up at her from under his eyelashes, “I think we both know that little Ronnie holds no fears for me.” Ginny’s eyes flickered from side to side as though searching for an escape route and Malfoy slouched lower in his chair and said calmly, “You take one step in any direction and I’ll put the body bind curse on you, and then all hope really will be lost, eh Weasley?”

Ginny tensed as though she was preparing to make a bolt for it and then suddenly his wand was in his hand and pointing dead centre at her chest. Malfoy didn’t even give her the small grace of leaning forward in anticipation, just cocked his head to one side and drawled, “Don’t make me do it.” They stared at each other for a few seconds more and then slowly Ginny forced her body to relax, Malfoy nodded shortly and gestured sharply with his wand, “Come and sit down.”

Ginny forced her feet to begin to move and slowly began to make her way across the carpet towards the chair opposite Malfoy. He kept his eyes on her as she lowered herself into the chair and then pursed his lips as he considered her bone white face. Ginny flinched when he flicked and pointed his wand and then a cup of steaming hot chocolate appeared on the small table at her side and a plate of steaming chocolate cookies.

She stared at him incredulously for a moment and he stifled a chuckle at the absolute amazement on her face, he took a moment to compose his features to the appropriate level of menace and then sneered, “You look like you’re going to faint at any moment, I prefer my victims conscious and able to scream.” Ginny looked uneasy at his calm words and he rolled his eyes impatiently, “For Merlin’s sake, Weasel.” Malfoy stood in one easy move and snagged a cookie from the plate without looking, “They aren’t poisoned, look.” He took a large bite and then grabbed the mug of chocolate and took a healthy swig, he coughed and said with watering eyes, “A bit hot maybe, but not poisoned.”

Ginny cautiously accepted the cookie he thrust into her hand and shrank back in her chair as he retook his seat. Draco cocked his head and studied the object of his unwanted dreams for the past few months. Nope, still skinny, still had orange hair and she was still horribly disfigured and he still had no bloody clue why his most pressing concern so far this term seemed to be getting her alone and possibly naked.

Of course the chances of that happening had rocketed since he had re-entered his common room so suddenly that he had startled her into falling against a chair and dislodging her concealing robe. Malfoy flashed an unconsciously wolfish grin and frowned as Ginny jumped slightly in her seat, “You know Weasley, with all the ruddy brothers you have at home, you’d think you’d have a bit more spine in you.”

Ginny’s hands tightened on her cookie and she gasped in dismay when it broke in a shower of crumbs over the chair and the expensive looking rug on the floor. Her eyes darted up to Malfoy’s again and she winced at the faint look of disgust in his eyes, “I…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, you’re just making me nervous.” She straightened in her chair and said defiantly, “And I do have spine, you know I do. My brothers just don’t make a habit of locking me in a room and threatening to body bind me when I have no hope of defending myself, that’s all.”

Draco popped another morsel of cookie in his mouth, “More fool them. Perhaps if they had done that, then you wouldn’t be risking their mighty wrath when they find out where you’ve been tonight. And do you seriously mean to tell me you came here without your wand?”

Ginny couldn’t help the slight wince at his words. Oh, Ron was going to kill her! Her hands twisted together nervously, “I…forgot it.” Or she’d grabbed one of Fred and George’s trick wands in her haste to get out the door before Connor and the others returned. Whatever. She tilted her chin and glared at him, “What are you going to do?”

Malfoy cocked his head consideringly, saying slowly, “Well, that rather depends on you. I could call Professor Snape right now and report you. Breaking into another house’s quarters is serious, you know. You’ll likely have every point your house has earned stripped from them and some they haven’t earned yet.” Ginny winced. Great, dishonour and a violent, painful death at the hands of her ever-loving brother. Her life was going so well.

Malfoy nodded to himself as she began to tremble in the chair, “I see that doesn’t hold quite as much appeal for you as it does for me.” He leaned forward in his chair so suddenly that Ginny was embarrassed into a short scream, “Tell me what you were looking for and how the bloody hell you got in here and I might let you get out of here in one piece.”

Hmm, tell Draco Malfoy that she had reason to believe there was another secret chamber hidden inside the Slytherin common room, yet again courtesy of Salazar Slytherin, that may possibly hold the key to the destruction of the wizard that most of the Slytherins worshipped like he was a combination of Merlin and John Lennon? Not likely. “I…I can’t.”

Draco leaned over to snag some silvery powder from a little golden cauldron besides his chair, “Very well, you leave me no alternative but to summon Professor Snape.”

He drew back his arm to hurl the powder into the fire and Ginny yelled, “No!” She looked desperately between his hand and the fire and then sagged in pretended defeat, “Please no. I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

Malfoy’s face flooded with triumph for a moment and then he slowly lowered his hand to his lap, still tightly grasping the powder, “Get on with it then.”

Ginny bit her lip and stared beseechingly into his eyes for a moment before finally acknowledging that she really had no option but to make up the most convincing lie she could think of and hope against hope that he was arrogant enough in his power over her to fall for it. “I came looking for anything that might help us in our research on the Dark Lord.” Draco remained silent as she twisted her hands nervously together and then blurted, “I’ve already done Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.” _Please, please don’t let me start to blush!_

Malfoy pursed his lips together silently and then frowned, “And how did you manage to sneak your way in here?”

Ginny shifted uncomfortably and then decided reluctantly on the truth for this particular question, “I…I overheard Crabbe in the Great Hall telling Goyle the new password this morning.”

Malfoy rolled his eyes, “Bloody typical.” He raised his wand slightly as she made to stand up, “Where do you think you’re going? Sit down.”

Ginny’s mouth fell open in horror, “But I told you everything.”

The older boy grinned disarmingly at her, “And I don’t remember saying you could leave. I need to think for a minute.”

He got to his feet and stood staring down at the fire for a moment, before swinging round and fixing her with a level stare, “Your brother and Potter sent you on this little mission aware of the risk you were running if you got caught?”

Ginny flushed unhappily, “They don’t know I’m here. They’re out with Connor.”

She scowled at him suddenly, “And everyone is meant to be at Hogsmeade anyway, what are you doing here?”

Draco blinked at her and then returned the scowl, “That’s none of your bloody business.” He folded his arms across his chest and his face fell into thoughtful lines as he continued to look down on her, once or twice he grimaced as though a bad smell had passed under his nose and then, finally, he gave a sharp, decisive nod. “Right, here’s the deal. I’m going to let you out of here.” He held up a hand to forestall her questions, “Let me finish. You get out of here and you don’t come back. I’m changing the password tonight and I’ll make damn sure that you don’t have access to it again.”

He gave a huge, pissed off sigh, “However, I am going to give you the password to my prefects office. You know where it is?” Ginny nodded dumbly, “If you think the Slytherins may be in possession of anything that may help you then you come and see me and I will decide whether or not to give it to you. Do not tell Potter or your infernal brother about this and don’t ever bring anyone but yourself with you. Understand?”

Ginny nodded again, and hoped she didn’t look as shell-shocked as she felt. She swallowed quickly and managed to whisper, “Are you serious?”

Draco grinned suddenly at the disbelieving look on her face, “Yes, I’m serious.”

Ginny eyed him cautiously, “Why? Why would you help Harry and Ron and why would you help me?”

Malfoy gave an uncomfortable shrug, “Because as much as I hate you, Potter and your whole rotten family I hate the thought of the Dark Lord returning more. Things were…untidy under his control and I don’t want to play a part in bringing those times back.” He rolled his shoulders under his cloak and stared at the floor for a moment, thinking of the rescue of Snape, the battle for the school and the scenes at his own home over the summer when a muggle family unwittingly ran into some Death Eaters in the woods near his house. He swallowed the sudden taste of bile in his mouth as the youngest child’s screams sounded again in his ears and muttered, “Just because I happen to be in his house, it doesn’t mean I am him, anymore than any other Slytherin is. Do you understand?”

Ginny shook her head, “No.”

Malfoy opened his mouth to give a caustic reply when a loud banging came at the door. Ginny jumped and the two exchanged startled looks before Draco grabbed her wrist and yanked her to her feet, “Not a word!”

Ginny squeaked with fright as she found herself bundled under his robes, then pulled hurriedly for a few steps before being shoved down and pushed back against something hard. Seconds later Draco’s warm back pressed firmly against her and he whispered harshly, “Don’t move and don’t make a sound. Damn” Ginny felt his arm rise and heard the words “Accio cloak!” before the slippery folds of the invisibility cloak were bundled under his robes to her. She grabbed the material and shut her eyes as he muttered the counter curse to unbind the door, then the room suddenly filled with irritable voices. She whimpered involuntarily, he pressed back sharply to silence her and then his back rumbled against her cheek as he drawled, “What’s the matter with you lot? Hogsmeade even deader than usual?”

Ginny stiffened as she heard Pansy Parkinson say icily, “No, we just couldn’t stand the appalling weather anymore, which you’d know if you had bothered showing up at all.” There was a brief pause and then the girl continued spitefully, “Although it looks as though you had a little party all to yourself up here without us. And why was the door locked?”

Draco frowned and followed her pointed gaze, to see Ginny’s cookies and cold chocolate still on the table by the girl’s abandoned chair. Ginny felt rather than heard the low growl go through him and she shivered as he said grimly, “I wasn’t aware that my eating arrangements were of such interest to you, Pansy.” His muscles tensed under Ginny’s cheek as she tried to edge further back into the chair’s recesses, she gave a light gasp when he slouched back against her firmly and said, “In the future, I’ll be sure and discuss my schedule with you at all times. Now if you’ve finished your impression of an impossibly nagging wife, I think it’s time you went to get ready for the feast. All of you.”

Ginny held her breath at the sudden startled silence. Unconsciously her fingers dug into Malfoy’s shirt fabric and she pressed her forehead against his shoulder blades as she waited for the other members of Slytherin house to obey.

Pansy’s fat, pug face turned an unattractive splotchy red and she spluttered disbelievingly, “Bu...but...it’s only half past five and this is the common room, you can’t order us out of it.”

Draco cocked an eyebrow and said coolly, “I think you’ll find I can do whatever I please while I’m head prefect of this house. I don’t feel like sitting and listening to you lot twitter on like a bunch of idiots for the next hour, so the lot of you will get to your rooms, get into your dress robes and stay there until I say it’s time to leave, is that clear?” He paused and then said silkily, “That is unless anyone really fancies calling me out on a duel and being transfigured into a commode for the night.”

Ginny listened to the sudden scrambling of hasty feet as his fellow house members fled before his cool threat and then Malfoy said in a low voice, “You’ll have to stay there for a moment in case anyone comes back down.” Ginny nodded and then her mouth fell slightly open in surprise as he continued gruffly, “Are you alright?”

  
  


She swallowed and managed to stutter, “Ye…yes. Thank you.” One shoulder lifted in a shrug and then they sat silently for a time.

Ginny felt her eyes begin to droop as the warmth under the robes steadily increased. The heat of Malfoy’s body was pulsing against her own and she felt her head begin to drop more than once. She pinched herself hard on the back of her hand several times, desperate not to fall asleep but finally the stress of the last hour and the stuffy heat became too much for her and she drifted into sleep with her cheek pillowed against her unlikely saviour’s back.

Malfoy sat with the Weasley girl under his robes for another ten minutes before he was reasonably sure that he’d put the fear of Voldemort into the other students and it was safe to get the redhead out. He allowed himself another few moments to enjoy the feel of her surprisingly relaxed body against his, rolled his eyes, mentally kicked himself and then spoke in a low voice, “We’d better go now.” There was no reply under his cloak and he frowned slightly, “Hey, girl, you can come out now.” Still no response.

He made to sit up and nearly garrotted himself as his robes stayed put under the weight of the girl currently hiding under it. Muttering a stream of vicious swear words under his breath, he reached up and undid his cloak. Carefully he slipped his arms out of the sleeves and then stood, clothed only in his all black trousers and t-shirt to glare down at the huddled black mass that hid Ginny Weasley.

Malfoy reached down slowly and pulled back the heavy material to reveal the sister of Ron Weasley, the person Draco hated most in the world after Harry sodding Potter, curled up in his favourite armchair fast asleep. Her hair was stuck to her sweaty face and she was a quite stunning shade of red after her enforced sauna, but she still looked surprisingly pretty to the prefect’s eyes. He growled and scowled menacingly at the sudden twinge of lust he felt and leaned down to hiss, “Wake up!” Ginny stirred uneasily but then settled down again to cuddle into the depression in the leather left by his body. Malfoy rolled his eyes in exasperation and took hold of her shoulder to shake her briskly, “Weasley, wake up!”

Ginny awoke with a start and, displaying the razor sharp reflexes she’d managed to hone over the years spent sharing a house with Fred and George, hauled off and punched him in the eye before her own had fully opened. Malfoy yelled with pain and surprise as he staggered back and Ginny took full advantage of his momentary loss of control to jump from the chair and make a break for it. However uncharacteristically lenient he had been over her transgression she was fairly sure that whatever truce they had managed to come to had been destroyed when she had injured his face for the second time in a term.

Malfoy’s mouth twisted with rage, “Oh I don’t think so.” He ran after the fleeing girl and took her down with a heavy tackle ten feet from the door. All the breath left Ginny’s body as she hit the floor, fortunately cutting off the terrified scream that burst from her lips that would have surely alerted the other members of Slytherin to her presence. Draco grabbed her shoulder to roll her onto her back and then straddled her waist before capturing her wrists to pin her beneath him on the floor. Ginny thrashed in panic and then they both froze in horror as they heard a voice on the stairs to the dorms.

“Malfoy? What’s going on?”

Draco glared down at the white face below him, “Not a word.” He turned his head towards the stairs, “Nothing Crabbe, I spilt some ink on my robes. Go back upstairs.” He cursed savagely as two huge feet came into view on the stairs and yelled furiously, “You take another step and I swear it’ll be your last with both feet attached. Do as I say and go back upstairs.” The feet froze and then slowly backed up the stairs and out of view. There were another few tense moments of silence and then Ginny jumped as a savagely angry face swooped down to hers to hiss, “What the bloody hell was that about?”

“I…I’m sorry. I panicked.” Ginny blinked as Draco’s nose touched the tip of her own.

“You hit me. Again.” Draco tightened his grip on her wrists and spat angrily, “I can’t tell you how much I’m beginning to hate that.”

Ginny writhed for a moment beneath him and then stilled, “Well, maybe if you didn’t keep threatening me and being horrid I wouldn’t keep hitting you!” She gasped for breath and shifted again, aware that if he just moved a few inches up her body she would be able to get a clear shot at his unprotected crotch with her knee.

“I did not threaten you and I am not horrid.” Malfoy’s mouth twisted in annoyance as Ginny snorted and he continued, “You broke into my house’s dormitories. I think under the circumstances I’ve been very reasonable.” Much to Ginny’s annoyance he eased back until he rested his backside on her thighs and kept a tight hold on her wrists to pin her in place, “I don’t understand how such a tiny thing can do so much damage to a person.”

Ginny glared, “Just because I’m a little smaller than you doesn’t mean I’m weak. I grew up with Fred and George, you know? You learn things.”

Now he’d got over his initial annoyance at being smacked in the face yet again by the youngest Weasley, Malfoy found himself quite enjoying the situation they now found themselves in. Although his worst nightmare would be for Ginny to discover the irrational effect she had on his normally excellent senses, Draco was not above indulging in his attraction to the girl if he could use it as the excuse to exert his power and control over her. The feel of her slim body between his thighs and thump of the pulse in her wrist against his fingers was making things happen in his pants that were most enjoyable and he was especially getting a kick out of the wild, wary look in her eyes. Oh yeah, nothing like a little power to get you buzzing.

“A little smaller?” Malfoy grinned, “My dear Weasel, in case you haven’t noticed, I stand a good foot above you and I probably out weigh you twice over. Compared to me you are as insignificant as a mouse to a hawk.” He leaned forward again and quickly moved to clasp her wrists together in one hand before trailing the other along her cheek, “And you still owe me for the little debacle in the library. You have no idea of the damage I could do to you, darling, and I’m afraid there is nothing you could do to stop me.”

Ginny’s eyes widened as his cool fingers skimmed her scar and her body began to tremble under his as she felt the sudden hard bulge in his trousers press intimately against her, “No…don’t touch me like that…”

Malfoy was very much afraid he couldn’t stop. Who would have thought that her skin would feel so delicate and warm, or that her hair would tangle so enticingly around his fingers when he touched it? “Ssh. It’s alright.” His hand trailed down hr neck and he pulled a long finger over her small collarbone before skimming up to trail around her lips, “Be still.”

Ginny’s eyes filled with terrified tears as Malfoy stared at her mouth and licked his own lips, eyes glazed and heavy with an indefinable emotion. She was surrounded by the weight of him and could feel what she imagined to be the evidence of his arousal twitch against the apex of her thighs as he leaned towards her, “Don’t touch me like that.” She flung her head to the side and said in hoarse desperation, “I’ll scream!”

Draco shook his head and managed to get a hand over her opening mouth before she could release the beginnings of a yell, “No! Don’t be stupid, you’ll have them all down here.” He stared at her terrified eyes and felt sudden nausea at the fear and hate in them, “Don’t scream. I’m going to let you up now and then I’m going to give you your cloak and walk you out to the great hall, ok?”

Ginny’s eyes were huge in her white face, “Weasley, Ginny, do you understand me? I’m not going to hurt you. It was just payback for hitting me. I’m not going to do anything to you.” He belatedly realised that sitting on top of Ginny and still pinning her to the floor wasn’t the best position to be in when trying to convince her that she had nothing to fear from him. Slowly he eased off her, still keeping his hand on her mouth, until he knelt beside her, “There. I’m going to take my hand away now and it’s very important that you don’t make a sound, alright?” Ginny nodded jerkily and Draco took his hand slowly from her face.

“My wrists.” Ginny tugged at the hand still holding her arms stretched above her head, “Please…”

Draco hurriedly released her arms and then felt the decidedly unfamiliar stab of shame when she rolled away from him and scrambled to her feet, pressing back against the wall as she blinked back tears, “Don’t you ever…You disgusting, horrid…Don’t ever put your hands on me again.” Ginny’s freckles stood out sharply against the shocked paleness of her skin and she trembled with reaction as she spat her words at him.

Malfoy climbed to his feet and tried desperately to pull himself together and somehow repair the situation with the right words. Although he cheerfully admitted to being a bully and all round git, he had never, in all the time since he had first noticed girls, ever had the urge to physically hurt them. It was amusing to see how much emotional pain he could occasionally inflict on the twits that fluttered around him, just to see how much they could take before retreating into tears and recriminations, but the actual idea of making them physically afraid of him had never appealed. He stared at her wordlessly as she shook, watching him fearfully and took a step towards her, stopping when she flinched, “Ginny, I’m not going to hurt you. I…”

Ginny gave a sob, cutting off the first apology that he’d ever willingly offered another person in his life, “Stay away from me, you vile bastard.” She held out a warning hand and blinked back more tears, missing the look of pain on his face at her words, “Just give me my cloak and let me out of here.”

Malfoy turned, staring blankly back into the common room and then walked blindly to the chair to retrieve her cloak. He picked it up and stood for a moment before walking back to Ginny and holding it out to her, “Here.”

Ginny snatched it away from him and threw it over herself, finally letting the tears flood out now she was hidden from his eyes, “Let me out.”

“I meant what I said. I want to help you.” Draco stared at the spot where he guessed Ginny still stood, “The password to my room is Fidus.”

“We don’t need your help.” Ginny moved as quietly as she could towards the door and then wrenched it open, “Stay away from me.”

Malfoy heard the rustle as she climbed through the door and jumped after her, “Ginny, wait…” He cursed as he heard the sound of her running feet and stared helplessly into the dim corridor. “Idiot.” He smacked his hand against the wall, “You absolute fucking idiot.” He reached to slam the door shut and then paused as a distant scream echoed from up in the castle. Draco cocked his head to the side uneasily and strained his ears, snarling furiously as he heard another terrified yell. It sounded like trouble had once again come to Hogwarts and Ginny Weasley was heading right into it. He spun and raced for his own cloak, making sure his wand was securely inside before flinging it around his shoulders and barrelling through the door in Ginny’s wake.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Dawn and Hermione were perched comfortably on the edge of Ravenclaw’s dining table happily oblivious to the dramas being played out by their housemates around the school and were watching as Professor Thenarus, the new DADA teacher, instructed the first and second years that were too young to go to Hogsmeade in the basics of disarming their opponent. Dawn swung her legs idly and smiled at a young Hufflepuff making the boy blush deeply and turn away, “They look so cute with their little wands and stuff.”

Hermione watched as the chosen representative from Gryffindor was blown off his feet by the one from Slytherin and smacked down onto the hard surface of the Gryffindor table. “Oh yes. Incredibly cute.” The boy pushed himself to his feet and staggered back to an en guard position, “They’re just like little kittens.” The mechanics of disarming the opposite person was lost in the sudden need to see just how many pieces the two boys could blow each other into. The professor shouted with alarm as the young Gryffindor, with a roar of approval from his housemates, waved his wand, screamed a curse and the young Slytherin was suddenly blasted backwards through the open hall doors.

“Ouch.” Dawn winced, “That had to hurt.”

Hermione nodded as the new teacher was suddenly lost in a sea of yelling and shoving children, “Perhaps I should lend a hand.” A shower of sparks went up from the centre of the jostling crowd of kids and she jumped off the table, “Make that definitely.”

Dawn hopped down behind her, “Want help?”

Hermione shook her head, “No. Will you go and check on the kid that just got knocked out the door?” Dawn nodded and moved off as Hermione headed towards the professor’s aid. Her eyes narrowed and she pointed a finger at a second year Gryffindor stealthily aiming a wand at the backside of a skinny Slytherin girl, “I see one spark, MacGregor and there’ll be no feast and a lot of bed pans in your future!”

Dawn grinned to herself as she walked briskly through the hall doors while Hermione began to restore order with the confident authority that the rather dazed professor lacked and her eyes skipped quickly over the corridor outside as she searched for the vanquished Slytherin, “Kid? Hey, Slytherie? You ok?” She felt an uneasy prickle between her shoulder blades as she looked at the floor that was empty of any evidence of a slightly flattened eleven year old and shivered at the strong breeze blowing up the passageway from the main castle doors.

Dawn looked back over her shoulder at Hermione as she began to stridently lecture the large group of children and making sure she kept in her friend in her line of sight, Dawn edged further away from the doors. She frowned as she thought she heard the sound of a brief scream floating in from outside and the hairs on the back of neck rose in warning, “Oh crap. Herm…oof!” The warning shout to her friend was cut off as a cold, dead fist smacked into her jaw and sent her skidding across the stone floor. Dawn rolled as soon as she hit the ground and came to her feet, looking wildly around her to see vampires flooding up the steps from the front door and already blocking one of the passageways leading into the school and away from the hall. “Holy shit.” Dawn’s eyed the demons grimly as they moved towards her and then heard the first terrified scream sound from the great hall, “This can’t be good. Hey!”

The vampires that were moving into the hall and towards the defenceless children inside paused as Dawn yelled out to them, “Hey! You don’t want them; trust me, all stringy and anaemic. They’re British! Come bite me, I’m from Sunnydale. Chock full of Hellmouth zing!” Hermione’s urgent voice sounded from inside the room as she started to try to get the children to safety and the demons’ attention began to wander back in that direction. Dawn grabbed the hem of her sweater and yanked it over her head, leaving herself in a white training vest that bared her neck and arms and yelled desperately, “Look, all the nummy goodness you can swallow! And I have some Slayer in me. Mmm, Slayer-y treat.!”

That got their attention. “Slayer?”

Dawn moved a few inches to the left nearly laughing with relief when the demons turned their heads to follow her movement, “Uh-huh. Slayer sub, get it while it’s hot!”

“Liar.” A grey haired vampire sniffed the air, “You are no slayer.”

“Nope. She’s my sister, though. Same blood deal going on.” Dawn moved again, making sure to keep her hair away from her neck as she bared it towards them, “All mega-spicy with slay-gal potential.”

“We’ll get to you, girl.” What appeared to be the leader, a rather wrinkly man who looked to have been about sixty when he died, motioned to three demons next to him, “Get her and bring her to me. The rest of you get the children.”

Dawn cursed and jumped up onto the wide stone railing, “Were you not listening? Sla-yer blood here.” She sprung into the air as a vampire grabbed at her legs curling into a ball to somersault down some seven feet further along the rail, “Look, people are going to get hurt...”

“Yes, you.” The vampire in charge watched in irritation as Dawn evaded the vampires going after her yet again, cart wheeling through the air to snatch an ornamental axe from the wall and slice the head from a snarling female vampire as she landed beside her. Dawn blurred as she attacked the two vamps nearest to her and then she was standing in a settling cloud of ashes. The leader’s eyes glowed a furious gold, “Stop her!”

“Atchoo!” Dawn sneezed violently, rubbing hard at her itching nose, “Dammit, it’s only been a couple of months!” She ducked a rush by two large males and nimbly skirted a slender girl’s two-inch long talons, “I can’t believe I forgot how irritating it is when you breathe vamp dust in.” There was a strangled scream as she flung herself to the floor, cut the axe along a vampire hamstring and then rolled forward to spring to her feet again. “Note to self: Next time wear mask.” Dawn twisted to the side wincing as someone’s claws raked along her back and she felt the trickle of hot blood against her skin, “Nearly…” The axe swung through the air taking the head from a large black man, “Try again. Ooops, you can’t, you’re dead. Next.”

“She’s one girl, how hard can it be?!” The leader looked on in disbelief as Dawn settled into the familiar rhythm of fighting hordes of demons for her life, “Take her down!”

Dawn’s eyes widened as the demons rushed at her in a large, snarling bundle, “Hey, no fair!” She swung out with the axe, kicking out as the vamps broke and then formed a circle four bodies deep all around her, “Dammit, come at me in ones or twos!” She pulled the axe back over her shoulder to give her the extra force she needed to separate heads from bodies in front of her and screamed in rage as it was snatched away leaving her with two fists, two feet and a pitifully small cross around her neck.

Dawn hit out and kicked away as many vampires as she could but there were just too many of the demons to fight, plus their numbers were so high they were able to use the very effective method of closing in on her until there was no room to even turn much less punch anyone. Two wary male vampires took hold of her arms and dragged her across the floor on her knees until she was staring up at the leader. He smiled coldly and slammed a fist into her already swollen eye and Dawn obligingly gave a pain filled scream, hoping that if she at least pretended to be more beaten than she was then they might let their guards down a notch. Her heart thumped painfully as from the hall terrified screams and yells began to sound. “Shit.” Dawn shook her head dazedly and bit hard at the inside of her mouth until her eyes filled with tears, “Please, let them go. They’re just children.”

There was a frightened cry in the middle of the group of vampires and then the struggling, terrified figure of the young Slytherin was passed from demon to demon until the leader held him dangling above the floor with his neck bared. The pitiful expression on Dawn’s face melted away into one of homicidal rage, “You lay one fang on him and I swear to God I will kill you. A lot.”

The vampire kept his eyes locked on Dawn’s as he leaned forward and very deliberately scraped a single fang in a line down the boy’s neck “Noooo!” Dawn thrashed and screamed as the boy’s eyes rolled up in his head in terror and the vampire’s head reared back to strike the killing blow, “No! Come bite me, for god’s sake, bite me!” The vampire opened its mouth to reveal its fangs, his head moved in a fast downward strike…and then it suddenly exploded in a ball of ash.

“Wow.” Dawn blinked, “That’s never happened before.” She looked hopefully at the shocked demons as the child fell to the floor in an unconscious tangle of limbs and said again, “Come bite me?” There was a definite lack of any more demons exploding. Dawn sighed, “Dammit.”

All eyes turned to the right as a female vampire screamed, clutching at her chest where a sharp wooden point was pushing out through her shirt and then she burst over the floor. Dawn’s eyes widened and she looked worriedly around her as the demons began push and shove against each other as they panicked, “Um…what’s going on?” Another vampire screamed, clutched its chest and exploded only this time Dawn had caught a glimpse of a slim white arm clutching a makeshift stake before it winked out of sight. Unfortunately she wasn’t the only one.

“There’s someone else here!” A young looking vampire stared hard at the spot where the arm had been and sniffed the air, “I can smell them. They’re using magic to stay hidden.”

Dawn’s heart leapt into her throat as she thought for a moment that Harry or Ron had somehow managed to slip unnoticed between the vampires wearing the invisibility cloak. She was fairly confident that it wasn’t Connor as all the demons were still standing and there were no severed limbs scattered over the floor. From the corner of her eye she saw the arm strike out again and her heart plummeted back to its usual position in these circumstances: her boots. Unless Ron or Harry had suddenly shrunk by a good half a foot it was unlikely they were the ones trying to save her ass.

The vampires all began sniffing the air as they prowled slowly through the space, leaving Dawn twisting and struggling in her captors grasp when the screams from the hall increased in volume. Dammit, where the hell were the teachers? A fist cuffed her round the side of her head, Dawn saw stars for a moment before a shrill scream ripped through the air and Ginny Weasley was divested of her protective cloak and backhanded across the cold floor. “NO! Ginny!” Dawn tried to rise to her feet and shouted furiously as cold hands forced her to stay on the floor, “Leave her alone!”

Ginny screamed again as she was dragged up by her long hair and then pulled along behind a laughing demon. Dawn stared into the eyes of the new leader and said truthfully, “If you don’t let her go right now you’re going to make me do something I’m going to really hate.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” The vampire gestured for Ginny to be forced onto her knees, “You gonna turn us all into frogs?”

“No.” Dawn shook her head, “Worse. Much, much worse.” She tried to look at Ginny beside her but the vampires gripped her hair forcing her to remain kneeling in rigid supplication before them, “I’m warning you. I’ve never tried this before and I’m not even sure it’ll work but if it does things aren’t going to be pretty.”

Some vampires shifted uneasily away from Dawn’s immediate vicinity but most remained in a loose circle around her and Ginny grinning with arrogant amusement. Dawn nodded to herself, “Ok, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She sighed deeply and muttered, “I really don’t want to do this. It’s so humiliating.” She locked her eyes on the vampire in front of her and her chest swelled as she took a huge gulp of air, “Connooor! HELLLLPPP!”

“That’s it?” Ginny trembled in the hold of the vampires and blinked in shocked horror, “That’s your big plan?” She chewed her lip as cold fingers bit into her wrist and almost wished she were back in the Slytherin common room under Malfoy. At least he wouldn’t have bitten her. Well, actually, thinking about the look in his eyes maybe he…No! Ginny shook herself mentally. Don’t even go there, as Dawn would say. Ever.

“Pretty much.” Dawn struggled frantically as she was dragged to her feet and her head forced to the side, “He might be out of range.”

“Or not.” Connor’s voice came from high above their heads, “Harry, Ron, I got this. Go help Hermione!” Ginny cried out with surprise as Connor suddenly dropped down in front of her, punching the vampire holding her so hard that he flew over the balcony rail ten feet away and disappeared screaming down the stairs. Connor nodded at Ginny, pulled her protectively behind him and then turned to grin at Dawn, “Hello, lover.”

  
  
  


* * *

Inside the hall, Hermione had managed, along with Professor Thenarus, to get all the children behind a ring of fire but the panicked students were coming to the point where they stopped listening to their protectors and were pushing and shoving at each other in a bid to stay away from the snarling demons trying to reach them through the white-hot flames.

“Everybody stay calm!” Hermione raised her voice to be heard above the screaming and roar of the fire, “Help’s on its way. Stay still or you’ll be burned!” She met the eyes of the small, dark professor and they exchanged looks of mutual desperation. Hermione risked a glance behind her at the teachers’ platform that they had ended up backed against and felt her heart pound with fear as she saw that the vampires had managed to get up there and completely surround them. “Oh no.” She looked wildly towards the doors of the hall and saw more vampires come flooding into the hall and fought to control her own panic, “Dawn, where are you?”

A sudden loud scream brought her attention back to the immediate situation and she turned to find a vampire had managed to leap the six-foot high flames from his standing point on the platform and was now in the midst of the hysterical group. The vampire’s eyes flashed gold as he bared his fangs, shoving aside students to get to Professor Thenarus and ordered the professor harshly, “Drop your shields!”

The professor swallowed and shook his head as the demon stalked towards him, raising his wand, “Incen…”

“No!” Hermione screamed as she pushed towards them, “No, the children, you might hit the children!” The professor shouted with pain as the vampire backhanded him away and then screamed himself as he landed in the roaring circle of fire. Hermione swept her wand through the air, “Aqua Exstinctor!” and a jet of water burst from the tip, dousing the flames and the roasting professor. The screams around her increased in intensity as the vampires moved forward, reaching for the terrified kids and Hermione found herself facing off against the vampire that had originally broached the protective circle.

“Witch.” The vampire’s eyes glowed gold as he shoved a howling girl from his path and grabbed at Hermione.

“Yes.” Hermione stepped back and then kicked out suddenly with her foot, slamming into the demon’s kneecap with a nasty crack, “Also recently trained in martial arts.” Her foot shot out again and kicked the vampire under the chin sending him skidding back along the floor. Hermione muttered under her breath,

“Dawn, I love you.”

She spun and stared with wild eyes around her at the horrifying scene. Everywhere she looked children were being attacked and the only other adult in the room was unconscious with vicious burns scarring his face and body. “Oh God.” She ducked out of the way as a vampire ran at her, pointing her wand at the long table where only a few moments before the dying children had been duelling and arguing, “Discutio!”

The table shattered in a shower of sharp wood and Hermione ran towards it screaming, “Use the wood! Stab them in the heart!” Her voice was lost in the maelstrom of sound around her and she was only able to retrieve a long sharp piece of table leg and jab it into a vampire draining a sobbing Gryffindor. The vampire failed to die. “NO!” Hermione stared in panic at the vampire as threw the child to the floor and turned on her, “You were supposed to die.”

“Through the heart, bitch!” The vampire reached around and grabbed the wood from between its shoulder blades, “You missed.” He backhanded her to the floor, then straddled her as she tried to raise her wand, knocking it away and taking a handful of her thick hair to wrench her head to the side, baring her throat. Hermione screamed as his fangs descended and then blinked in shock as Ron Weasley suddenly dropped from the sky like a ginger avenging angel.

“Get the fuck off her, you bastard!” Ron tackled the vampire to the floor and struck out furiously, “Don’t you ever fucking touch her again!”

Hermione rolled to the side with a sob and snatched up another piece of wood as Ron’s head snapped back when the vampire bunched up a fist, catching him on the chin. As Ron rocked back, Hermione lunged forward and slammed the makeshift stake through its chest, sobbing with relief as it froze and then exploded under Ron’s body. “Ron, are you alright?” Hermione grabbed frantically at her friend as he fell forward on all fours, “Are you alright?” She flinched back as he raised his head and she met hard, wild eyes, “Ron?”

“Death Eaters and vampires everywhere.” Ron pushed to his feet and grabbed Hermione in one hand and a stake in the other, “The professors are all fighting outside, we’ve got to hold them back here. Come on!” He stared above him and saw Harry and their still unnamed saviour flying above their heads blasting fire at any vampire not too close to a child, “We’ve got to get the kids out of here!”

Hermione stared around her at the floor and saw her wand, “The Accio charm, Ron!” She snatched up the slender wood and dodged another demon, “Accio them!”

Ron nodded and punched a vampire as it reared above him, “Right.” He jumped back a pace and stood shoulder to shoulder with Hermione as they raised their wands, bellowing in unison, “Accio students!”

From all around the room limp and still struggling bodies were snatched into the air, flying towards Ron and Hermione. The vampires roared with anger as their prey was snatched from them and turned as a body to chase after the children. Hermione refused to look too closely at the pile of children that lay bleeding and crying before her and shouted, “Circino Accendo!” as she cast fire charm, this time making the flames shoot twelve feet into the air.

Ron stared upwards again through the fire, “Harry!” Harry looked down, nodded and pointed his broom in a steep dive towards Ron in the centre of the ring of fire. Ron saw the man on the other broom see what Harry was doing and he turned quickly to Hermione, “Hold your hands up.” He shoved his hands into the air to demonstrate, “Quickly!”

Hermione shook her head, “What? Ron, I don…” She screamed in surprise as Harry burst through the wall of fire, Ron grabbed hold of the end of the broom as Harry passed and then both her friends flew straight through the opposite side of the flames.

“Get ready!” She flinched at the shout and then moaned with terror as she saw another broom about to follow in Harry’s wake. Her hands reached up, she screamed as the other broom hurtled towards her and a strong hand gripped one of her wrists pulling her into a fiery hell of smoke and heat until she burst out into the cool air of the hall on the other side. The hand let go of her abruptly and she rolled along the floor coughing and spluttering, eyes streaming with shock and fright.

“Hermione!” Ron dropped to his knees beside her and beat at the smouldering hem of her top, “Are you alright?” He cast an anxious look at the vampires, breathing in relief as he saw Harry and the mysterious stranger buy them a few seconds as they resumed their attack. He gathered her shaking, gagging body into his arms and cradled her against his chest, “It’s alright, love, it’s alright.”

Hermione took a deep shuddering breath, pushing her face against his filthy shirt for a moment before pushing her way free and climbing to her feet on shaking legs, “I’m ok.” She gripped her wand and shook as Ron climbed to his feet, “I’m ok.”

Ron frowned as she swayed and jumped forward to catch her in his arms once more, “You aren’t. Herm, get back with the kids where it’s safe.” He was suddenly very angry with himself that he’d taken her back into the battle with him, “You shouldn’t be out here.”

Hermione blinked in outrage and shoved back from him, “What?” The howls of dying vampires sounded all around her, “Why the hell not?”

Ron cast an anxious look back at the slowly advancing demons and said the first words that came into his overwrought mind, “It’s dangerous and I won’t be able to protect you and fight at the same time. Go!” He shoved her back towards the fire, turning to run back into battle.

Hermione went all right. She went ballistic and puce with rage and adrenalin as he turned his back on her, her palm lashed out to crack across the back of his head in pure fury as she shouldered him out of the way, “Sod you, Ron. Sod. You.”

Ron gaped in astonishment as the object of his increasingly erotic dreams barrelled past him and threw herself at the nearest demon, “Hermio…” He stopped as she snatched a piece of splintered wood from the floor, ramming it unerringly into a growling demon’s chest before flourishing her wand, pointing it at another vampire and screaming a fire charm. “Bloody hell!” Ron shook his head and pulled himself together enough to run after her, swinging his own wand through the air to ignite more undead bodies around him. Obviously the training sessions with Connor and Dawn were starting to pay off in spades with more than just himself and Harry.

  
  
  
  


* * *

Outside the hall things had swung quickly in favour of the team with the pulses since Connor had dropped in. As he punched one of Dawn’s captors over the stone balcony after the one he had knocked away from Ginny, Dawn had wrenched her arm free and swung her fist round so hard that she lifted the remaining vampire holding her off his feet, sending him skidding on his back along the floor. “I told you it wouldn’t be pretty.” Dawn watched her captor fly away from her and actually snarled as she whirled on the other demons, “I am going to kill you guys so much for this.”

Connor spun and managed to kick three advancing vampires clear across the room before back flipping up onto the stone railing and pulling Ginny up beside him, “Stay up here and set as many as you can on fire. Dawn and I will take care of the hand-to-hand stuff.” He squeezed her hand without waiting for her reply, jumping to curl into a ball and spin across the room with a fierce battle cry.

Ginny stared after him for a moment and figured now was not the time to tell him that the only wand she had on her was one that turned into a rubber chicken when you used it. She took an uncertain step to the side as a vampire managed to get past the furious Dawn, who had been reunited with her axe and was screaming some absolutely filthy words as she threw herself into battle, and sprang towards her, “Oh Merlin…”

“Incendio!” A voice screamed the spell above the noise of the pitched battle and Ginny found herself stumbling backwards as the demon burst into flames inches from her legs.

“GINNY!” Connor’s head snapped round as he heard Malfoy yell in panic and he saw Ginny on the balcony, arms wind milling frantically as she tried to regain her balance and not plummet down to the unforgiving stone stairs beneath her. He shoved aside his opponent as he broke into a run, painfully aware that his speed and strength just weren’t going to be enough this time.

Ginny’s mouth opened in a terrified cry as she lost her battle with gravity and she toppled backwards; Draco ducked a wild swing from a demon as he pointed his wand and yelled, “Wingardium Leviosa!” Connor’s eyes met Ginny’s terrified ones as she tumbled backwards and then he was at the railing grabbing frantically for her as she fell out of reach.

“NO!” Connor’s shout of denial bounced off the walls, then he was staring in disbelief as the young girl suddenly stopped her free fall and then bobbed upwards through the air to hover unhurt above him.

“Connor, watch out!” Ginny pointed in horror as she saw two demons take advantage of his distraction and come at him from behind. Connor whirled as one of the demons reached for him and straight-armed it away, a swift kick to the stomach knocked the other one back and then he found himself face-to-face with the wild-eyed Malfoy.

“What the bloody hell is going on?” The Slytherin prefect was flushed with colour as he dodged yet another grab.

Draco glanced up at Ginny as she floated through the air above him and shouted down, “Malfoy, cancel the spell!”

“I don’t bloody think so!” Draco ducked behind Connor as another wave of hungry demonic adversaries ran towards them, “You can bloody well stay up there!” The words ‘where you’re safe’ were bitten off before he could make a complete idiot of himself and he ignored her angry shout to yell to Dawn as Connor met the rush of fangs and claws, “What do you need?”

“Wood!” Dawn sucked in a breath as she leaned backwards out of the way of a set of rancid fangs, “Fire, holy water…” She yelled with pain as she took a hit to her abused eye, “We need to get their numbers down!”

Draco looked around him at the bloody confusion, realizing although Dawn and Connor were slowly culling the numbers of the vampires there were still at least twenty of the disgusting things in the confined space and the dust of Merlin knew how many covered the floor beneath his feet. He staggered backwards against the railing and tried desperately to think as his ears rang with the sounds of battle and death. Then he had it.

With a quick gesture he brought Ginny down from the air and into his side. Wrapping one arm around her struggling body he pointed his wand, “Summers, Angel, get down!”

Dawn glanced over and saw the wand moving through the air and her eyes widened, “Shit! Connor!” She dove for the floor and threw her hands protectively over her head as she heard Connor do the same with a loud curse.

“Wingardium Leviosa!” The charm blasted out of Malfoy’s wand as he put every ounce of power he had into it, hit the main body of the vampires and, aside from five or six that weren’t close enough to come under the influence of the spell, the demons took Ginny’s recently vacated place in the air.

Connor jumped up and grabbed one of the stunned vampires left on the ground, ripping the head from its shoulders with a furious shout and an explosion of ash. Dawn rolled to her feet and swung her axe, neatly separating another head and body and nodded to the remaining vampires on the ground sagely, “Now he’s pissed. Connor, can you take it from here?” Her answer was an anguished scream as a demon got its non-beating heart literally ripped from its chest, “Guess so.” She ran to join Malfoy and Ginny, frowning slightly as Ginny squirmed frantically against the older boy’s hold, then shook her head and pointed urgently at the swarming mass of bodies overhead, “Can you flambé them?”

Sweat rolled in thin rivulets down Draco’s face as he fought to maintain the spell and keep his hold on Ginny at the same time, “No…” He sagged suddenly and Ginny was forced to grab at him to stop him hitting the floor, “I can’t hold it for much longer either.”

“I haven’t got my wand.” Ginny braced her legs and swore as Draco’s body shook against her with strain, “I can’t help.”

Dawn nodded, “Right.” She reached under her t-shirt and into her back pocket withdrawing her own wand, “It’s Incendio, right?” Ginny nodded and Dawn turned to face the vampires, “When I say ‘now’ drop the spell.” She took a breath, “Now!” Draco dropped the charm as Dawn’s white wand flashed through the air and she shouted, “Incendio!” The demons barely had time to begin their journey back to earth before they were hit with the blast of power, then it was raining ash and flaming chunks of meat. “Connor, let’s move!”

Malfoy gasped for breath as Dawn took off at a dead run for the entrance to the hall, followed by her boyfriend as he grabbed a sword from the wall and took the head off the last vampire standing, “Has she been on the Pepper-Up potion?” He grunted as Ginny shoved away from him and backed away, “Ginny!” He reached for her as for the second time that night she turned and ran from him into certain danger, “Oh for…” He pushed away from the railing and staggered after her, “Weasley!”

  
  
  
  


* * *

To say Dawn was startled when she saw the scene in the hall was an understatement. In the air Harry and another person were flying at full throttle around the room and blasting fire charms left and right, Ron and Hermione were alternately staking, screaming their own curses or screaming furiously at each other. Behind the battling boy and girl was a huge ring of fire that surrounded a group of screaming children and there was still at least thirty vampires dodging curses and wild thrusts of stakes. Dawn narrowed her eyes, “Right.” She singled out a group of five vampires edging round on Ron and Hermione’s blindside, “Incendio!”

Ron and Hermione yelled with surprise as they felt the sudden blast of heat at their backs and Hermione shouted with relief as she saw her friends run into the main body of the hall, “Dawn, Connor!”

“Right here, Hermione.” Connor somersaulted over the head of a group of demons, “Dawn, stakes!” He grabbed a couple of pieces of sharp wood and tossed one to his girlfriend as he plunged his own into an unguarded chest, “And they work just fine!”  
  


Dawn gripped the shaft of the wood and glared around her at the devastated hall, “Nobody leaves this room unless they have a pulse or a note from their mom explaining why not, ok?” She ran forwards and engaged a vampire with a savage backhand across his face, “You guys are so out of your depth now.”

Ginny skidded into the hall in Dawn’s wake, her eyes immediately landing on the shattered table and the pile of splintered wood scattered on the floor. “Ginny!” She glanced over her shoulder as Malfoy called her name again and then darted out of reach of his fingers to make for the DIY stakes.

Just as Ginny’s fingers closed on a sharp looking stake, someone grabbed her from behind and she was pulled up and against a hard, dead chest. Her eyes widened as she heard a low snarl behind her and then she instinctively reached for the hand clamped on her shoulder, yanking it round to her mouth. Without hesitation Ginny sunk her teeth into the unprotected hand and ground down as hard as she could, fighting the urge to vomit at the touch of the dead flesh against her tongue.

“Aaaarrgh!” The vampire holding Ginny abruptly shoved her to her knees and stared in disbelief at his bleeding hand, “You bit me!”

Ginny scrambled to her feet and flung herself at the demon, “Ha! How do you like it?” The stake in her hand slammed into the demon’s chest and he burst in a very satisfying cloud of dust, still staring at his hand in surprise. Ginny whirled back to the main fight, “Git.”

“Dammit, Ginny, will you…Fuck!” Draco’s eyes widened as he saw the pitched battle and he froze, “Oh fuck!”

“Hey!” Connor shouted across the room as he saw Malfoy frozen in the doorway, “This isn’t pay-per-view, pal! Grab a weapon and get slaying.” He stabbed a vampire economically with his stake, “See? Just like that.”

“Pay-per…?” Draco shook his head in a daze, “I don’t…”

Ron ran past pursued by three snarling demons, “Kill them, you prat, KILL THEM!”

“Right!” Draco raised his wand and aimed for the demon at the rear of the three chasing the Head Boy, “Incendio!” He looked for Ginny but she was lost to him as she engaged her first opponent and then he was fighting for his life as a vampire came out of nowhere and took him to the floor.

  
  


* * *

Ron dropped his stake and stared around himself as the last pained scream died away, “Is that it?”

Malfoy rolled to his feet with a groan and leaned back against the wall, “I think so, yes.” He took a deep, shaky breath, “Is everyone alright?”

“Yeah.” Ron wiped an exhausted hand over his mouth, “You?”

“Fine.” Malfoy suddenly tensed as he realised who he was talking to and watched as Ron did the same. The two boys eyed each other for a moment, unsure of how to react to their first non confrontational conversation since meeting six years earlier before they both turned to look towards the sound of Dawn’s voice, “Connor, we need to go and do a sweep for any that we missed. Harry, mysterious guy, go check on the professors. The rest of you, get that fire out and see to those kids.”

Malfoy watched as Dawn and Connor sprinted out, clutching stakes and swords, and Harry and his mysterious companion flew out in their wake, saying snidely “Quite the little general isn’t she?”

And just like that the brief cease-fire ended. “Piss off, Malfoy. It’s thanks to Dawn we made it through alive.” Ron pushed away from the wall and started towards Ginny and Hermione as they hurried towards the shocked and now mostly silent children in the ring of fire.

“Well, I see yet another close brush with death hasn’t improved your disposition any, Weasley.” Draco staggered after his arch-nemesis, “And I suppose we had nothing to do with the victory?”

Ron turned, eyes flashing angrily, but whatever he was about to say was cut off by Hermione’s tense voice, “Not now! Just bloody leave it, Ron.” She cast the counter charm to dissipate the fiery wall and her voice hitched, “Oh Merlin. Ron, Malfoy, quickly!”

Ron shot Malfoy a last scorching look before breaking into a stumbling run to reach Hermione and his sister’s side. He stared silently downwards before swallowing the bile that leapt into his throat at the sight of the small, blood-streaked faces that looked mutely back at him, “It’s alright. It’s over now.” Aware the words were pitifully inadequate Ron reached out for the nearest child, a Slytherin, and picked the pale boy off the floor, “It’s ok. We’ll get you sorted out. Hermione.”

Hermione nodded, “Is there anyone who…isn’t conscious?” She bit her lip as she realised she had been about to say dead and forced a gentle smile on her face, “If you’re awake you’re probably ok for a minute and we need to get help for the ones that aren’t.”

“My…my…friend.” A coloured Hufflepuff raised a tear-streaked face and blinked through her curls at Hermione, “She won’t wake up.” Hermione looked at the limp body in the small girl’s arms and her eyes blurred with tears. The face and entire left side of the thin body was covered in blood with flesh hanging in tatters from the ruined throat, “Her name’s Mi…Milly.”

Hermione tried to force words out of her mouth, then found herself being elbowed aside with a muffled curse as Malfoy stepped into the huddled pile of children and bent to the child, “Why don’t you let me take Milly?” He frowned as the girl shrunk away from him and her eyes fixed on his house badge, “It’s alright. I’m a prefect. I have to help the Head Boy over there. See?” He pointed towards Ron and the girl’s eyes blinked dazedly up at him, “Ginny and Hermione will look after you here and I’ll take Milly to the hospital wing, alright?” His arms moved around the blood-soaked body and he tried not to gag as the scent of copper and the death-release hit his nose, “I’ll look after her…” He stood in one quick motion, turning as the girl screamed and reached for her friend, “Granger…” Hermione shoved past him and restrained the little girl as he moved off; face blank with horror and shock.

Ron stared as he marched towards the far end of the hall with the body, “Merlin…” Then he walked back towards the children and began the grim task of sorting the living from the dead.

  
  


* * *

Dawn and Connor met up at the top of the staircase outside the Great Hall. “Anything?” Dawn eyed the shadows stretching away down the dark corridor that Connor had just emerged from.

“No. You?” Connor gripped his stake tightly as Dawn shook her head, “We weren’t ready. They attacked and we weren’t ready.” His eyes stared bleakly into the hall where he could see Ron and Malfoy laying down an obviously dead body just inside the door.

Dawn shook her head and grabbed his hand, swallowing tears as she turned her back on the scene in the hall, “No. We were as ready as we could be. There was just too many.” Her head bent forward against his chest, “We were lucky it wasn’t worse.”

Connor blinked as his vision blurred and he crushed her to him in a tight, desperate hug, “I should have been better. Faster. I could have stopped them…”

Dawn’s face streaked with tears as she clutched at him, “No, you couldn’t. Connor, we did what we could.” She sobbed a breath, “It just wasn’t enough. Oh God, those children.”

They stood for a moment trembling against each other and then, abruptly, they both stepped back and wiped their faces. “We can have a meltdown later.” Dawn shoved sticky strands of hair off her face and squared her shoulders; “Right now we need to find out if the teachers are ok and set up a perimeter guard for the night.” Connor nodded and took her hand as they started down the stairs and into the grounds.

  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  


Out by the lake Harry had just touched down beside Professor Dumbledore. “Sir! Sir, are you alright?”

The old man looked as grave as Harry had ever seen him in the light of the moon, surrounded by bodies. “Yes, Harry, quite alright. The school?”

Harry abandoned his broom and hurried to his Headmaster’s side, “We stopped them, sir.” He bit his lip as he thought of the carnage in the Great Hall and his throat thickened, “They need medical help though.”

Dumbledore nodded, “Of course. Minerva!” Harry turned and saw Professor McGonagall’s pale face behind him, pinched with fright and streaked with tears, “There are casualties to be dealt with inside. Please gather whoever you can and aid Poppy. I suspect it will be a long night.”

Harry blinked as the elderly woman blinked out of sight and he realised belatedly that the teachers had apparated to their aid earlier, “Sir!”

Dumbledore smiled wearily at Harry’s shocked tone, “I run this school, Harry, it does not run me. I thought it was time for a change regarding the advisability of allowing teachers to apparate and disapparate in school grounds. It has always been within the Head teacher’s power to adjust the charms and barriers around the school as he or she saw fit.” His blue eyes stared around him at the bodies on the floor, “These are unusual times after all.”

Harry blinked with surprise and nodded, “Yes, sir.” He turned as the professor’s eyes looked past him and saw the person who had flown so bravely to their rescue approach, still shrouded in their concealing cloak.

The figure pushed back their hood and smiled at the stunned look on Harry’s face, “Hello Harry.”

“Viktor!” Harry gaped stupidly at the sallow complexion of Victor Krum, “But… what…how…”

The renowned seeker bowed in Dumbledore’s direction, “I haff taken your Headmaster up on his offer of sanctuary at last.” A pained look flashed across his face, “Durmstrang and its faculty haff fallen to the Dark Lord and there vas nowhere left for me to go. My skills as Quidditch instructor vere, how do you say, surplus to requirements? Help vill always be given at Hogwarts to those that ask for it, yes?”

Harry nodded, “Yes.” He swallowed and held out his hand, “I’m glad to see you, Viktor.”

“And I you, my friend.” Viktor shook hands and looked about him gravely, “I just vish ve had met under better circumstances.”

Harry bit his lip, then jumped as Snape loomed out of the dark, “Headmaster, we have lost Professor Flitwick and Madam Sprout is badly injured.” His eyes rested on Harry for a moment and unless Harry was very much mistaken there was a flash of relief across his face before he snapped, “Don’t just stand there, Potter. If you can walk we need able bodies.”

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat at the news that the kindly, old Professor of Charms had died in the fight and nodded shortly, “Yes, sir.” His eyes flicked briefly to the sky where the Dark Mark was fading, “The village, Professor Dumbledore? Only the students too young to go were attacked at the school. I don’t know where the others are. I…” His voice failed him for a moment; “I didn’t see them during the battle.”

“We must see to our wounded here first, Harry.” Professor Dumbledore squeezed Harry’s shoulder lightly; “Aurors would have been summoned to Hogsmeade as soon as the alarm was raised. We must trust in the Ministry to see that our students were kept safe.” He looked round at the sound of running feet and smiled briefly as Dawn and Connor ran into view, stakes and axes at the ready. “Miss Summers, Mr Angel, you’re unhurt?”

Dawn swept the area with an experienced eye, relaxing slightly as she realised for the moment the danger had passed, “Yeah. Everybody make it ok?” She eyed Snape warily, paying special attention to his neck, “Still with the pulse having, there?”

Harry clapped a hand over his mouth as a slightly hysterical giggle welled up in his throat at the furious expression on Snape’s face and Dumbledore stifled his own smile as he said, “We are mostly unhurt. The Death Eaters captured here tonight must be restrained and kept safely for the arrival of the Ministry.” He frowned as Connor kicked savagely at a prone body, “And treated with respect.”

“Kids died here tonight.” Connor’s face was a mask of savagery as he kicked the body again, “Little kids were ripped to pieces because of these pieces of crap. Don’t tell me how to treat this scum.”

Dawn moved to Connor’s side and took his arm, missing Snape’s nod of approval as the Death Eater was lifted off the floor by the power of Connor’s next kick and sent flying to crash to the ground ten feet away. “Connor, baby, let it go.” Dawn clutched his head in her hands and rose up on her toes until their eyes were level and whispered, “Meltdown later, remember?” She waited until she felt the furious tension drain from Connor’s body and then glanced back at Harry,

“We’re needed at the school. You with?” Harry nodded and Dawn continued as she looked at Dumbledore, “You need to set up a guard. Can you do that or do you need me and Connor on patrol out here?”

“Go.” Dumbledore gestured towards the castle, “I will join you as soon as I am able. Measures must be taken here that I must see to before anything else. Viktor, I’m afraid I must ask you to forsake your anonymity and help within the school.”

“Of course.” The lanky youth nodded and gestured back towards where he had left his broomstick, “Ve vill get there much faster if ve fly. Miss?”

It was a measure of the exhaustion that was beginning to make itself felt that Dawn simply nodded, ”Sure. Let’s go.” She clutched Connor’s hand as she followed Krum and Harry fell into step beside behind them. Professor Dumbledore watched them as Harry and Connor climbed onto the Firebolt, kicking off into the sky and then Viktor and Dawn followed them the cool night air.

“Remarkable children.” He closed his eyes for a moment and then smiled tiredly at his most trusted ally, “Miles to go before we sleep, eh Severus?”

“As always, Headmaster. As always.” Snape pulled his robes about him and nodded towards Madam Hooch who was crouched over the plump figure of Madam Sprout on the ground, “She needs you.”

For the first time in a long time Professor Dumbledore felt his age as he made his feet move, “Then let us see what is to be done.”


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Dawn wiped a hand over her sweating forehead, groaning as she straightened from applying a bandage to a young boy’s neck and glanced around the hall. Connor, Ron, Harry, Victor and Malfoy were all at one end carefully arranging the dead in a row alongside the doors and Ginny, Hermione and several professors were bustling amongst the rows of weeping, savaged survivors as they attended their injuries. Dawn squeezed the shoulder of the dazed Ravenclaw that she had been caring for and moved onto the next temporary cot to smile at the pale face on the pillow there. “Hey. How are you feeling?”

“I can’t find my sister.” The boy lying against the pillows stared at Dawn with wide, terrified eyes, “She got taken when the fire went out and now I can’t find her.”

Dawn kept her eyes away from the dead at the other end of the hall and smiled gently, “If you tell me her name, I’ll find out where she is.” She bit her tongue to stop the well meaning but empty assurance that she was sure the girl was alright. “Is she in your house?” She glanced at his house badge, “Is she in Slytherin?”

“No.” The boy looked as though he was fighting back a sob, “Sh…she’s in Hufflepuff. She’s a year younger than I am.”

Dawn gripped his hand as tears began to trickle from the corners of his eyes, “I’ll go look for her as soon as I’ve cleaned you up, ok? I’ll find her.” She waited until she received a shaky nod of assent and then began to wipe the dried blood from his neck and shoulder, “What’s your name?”

“D..David. David LeRoy.” He stared up at the ceiling as Dawn smoothed a wet cloth against his throat, “Will those things come back? Will they attack us again?”

Her heart clenching at the underlying terror in the thin voice, Dawn shook her head, “No. They won’t come back.” She forced herself to concentrate on the task in hand and not the urge to go and smack the snot out of any demons she could find. “Connor and I will make sure of that.”

“Why did they do it?” David gripped her wrist as she smeared a thick white paste over the two deep gashes on his throat and repeated desperately, “Why did they do it? We’re just kids, we haven’t done anything.”

“No, you haven’t.” Dawn shook her wrist free and then clasped his hand in both of hers, “Nobody did anything to deserve this. They’re demons, evil, and it was nobody’s fault that this happened.” Her face hardened as she whispered, “I swear to you that I will find the person responsible and I will make them pay.”

“You’ve fought them before.” The words were more a flat statement than a question.

“Yes.” Dawn nodded, “Feels like all my life.”

“Were they after you?” The boy’s eyes pierced Dawn like a dagger and she felt the familiar weight of guilt settle in her chest, “Did they come here because of you?”

“I don’t know.” Dawn kept her gaze straight and strong as she looked down at the child, “Maybe.” Her heart clenched as David snatched his hand away and rolled stiffly onto his side, she stood and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“Dawn.” She turned as she felt a hand on her shoulder and met Ginny’s eyes, “I’ll take over here. Go and rest for a minute.” Dawn glanced once more at the stiff form on the bed and then nodded as she moved away to look for David’s missing sister. Ginny placed a hand on the injured boy’s shoulder, “Turn around and let me treat you.”

“She said she would find my sister.” The young voice was filled with fear and hate, “The filthy bitch said she would find my sister and she’s the reason that they came here and my sister might be dead.”

“No.” Ginny pulled the boy sharply towards her, ignoring his yelp of pain, “No, she’s the reason you’re alive now. She’s the reason we’re all alive now and if you ever speak about her like that again I’ll make those demons seem like house-elves in comparison, do you understand me?” Ginny snatched her hand away from the stunned boy and clenched her fists at her side as he stared at her in shock. The numb horror of the evening’s events was starting to wear off and she was awash with furious, irrational anger at every living thing in the hall.

“That’s a marvellous bedside manner you have there, Weasley.” The cool voice made her start and she spun round to glare up at Draco Malfoy, “What are you going to do for an encore, stab a kitten?” Malfoy eyed her body as it shook with reaction and then glanced down at the bed, “I’d like a word with LeRoy, unless you plan on actually kicking him while he’s down?” He took a step nearer the bed and managed to conceal his wince as Ginny stepped back so fast she stumbled over the edge of the bed and nearly managed to fall on her ass.

“It’s my sister, isn’t it?” David’s face was the same colour as his white pillow and his hands clenched at his heated blanket as he stared up in terror at the prefect, “You found her body, didn’t you?”

“No.” Dawn nudged Malfoy out of the way and then stepped back and waved Connor past, pointing at the girl in his arms, “We found her, complete with soul and a pulse.”

“Rachel!” The boy scrambled up and grabbed at his weak but mercifully alive sister, “Rachel, you’re ok!” Connor placed Rachel down on the bed and exchanged weary smiles with Ginny as the reunited siblings enjoyed their reunion. Then Connor jumped in startled surprise as David pushed his sister away and fetched her a hefty thump around the ear, “What the bloody hell did you think you were doing? I told you to stay with me and now you’ve gone and got yourself attacked and Mum and Dad are going to blame me.” Draco and Connor’s mouths dropped open as the unfortunate Rachel was shaken hard enough to make her teeth rattle, but Dawn and Ginny exchanged knowing looks at the familiar sound of an older sibling tearing a strip off the younger one, “You are so stupid. You never bloody listen…”

“Hey, hang on a second…” Connor reached out to stop the abuse and yelped as he got his hand smacked for his trouble.

“You stay out of this, muggle.” David gripped his sister’s shoulders and fought to get his words out, “If you ever do anything that bloody stupid again I’ll bloody kill you myself. You stupid, selfish…stupid…” His chest heaved and tears sprang to his eyes.

“I couldn’t find you.” Rachel blinked, it has to be said, stupidly at her brother and touched a dazed hand to her throat, “I remembered what you said and I tried to find you and then someone…bit me?” She frowned in confusion, “Did someone bite me when I was looking for you?” David seriously impressed Malfoy when he reeled off a string of vicious curses and yanked his sister against him, not noticing that when Rachel began to sob tears trickled down his own face as he took up his litany of complaint against his sibling once more, “You’re so stupid. I don’t know why I bother…”

Dawn turned as Ron joined them and nodded sagely, “His little sister?” He flashed a tired grin at Ginny, “I see where he’s coming from. Madam Pomfrey wants us all at the front of the hall to check us over.” His eyes shadowed briefly, “She’s done all she can for the others now.”

Connor nodded and motioned to the misty-eyed Dawn and Ginny that they should leave the two children alone to enjoy their peculiar reunion and then took Malfoy’s arm to guide him away. “I still need to speak with my house member, Angel.” Draco shook his arm free of Connor’s loose grip, “If you don’t mind.”

Connor raised an eyebrow and looked Malfoy up and down, “You also have a couple of cuts that need looking at. Leave them alone for a minute and get yourself seen to and then come back when you’re a little less…bloody.”

“Is that your professional opinion?” Draco managed to find a weak sneer from somewhere, even though he was battling exhaustion, shock and the last tendrils of mind-numbing terror from the attack.

Connor, who battled those emotions practically every day of his life, worked up a much better sneer and gave Malfoy a hearty shove to send him staggering out into the narrow aisle, “Yes.” He reached for Ginny and Dawn and ushered them out before him before following them away from the bed, “And you might want to consider that there’s always more blood inside you begging to be let out.” His teeth flashed in a feral smile, “If you catch my drift?”

Ron snorted at the indescribable look on Malfoy’s face and slipped one arm around Ginny’s shoulders then, after a brief hesitation, his other arm around Dawn’s. Both girls leaned against him with a sigh and he cuddled them close as he began to lead them towards the waiting school nurse. Connor poked Draco sharply between the shoulder blades to get him moving after them and then followed the rag-tag procession casting an eye over the now mostly calm hall.

The children were now mostly silent with only the occasional muffled sob echoing through the room. The Professors moved with grim purpose through the room attending to injuries or just laying hands on huddled and shivering bodies in a bid to give what little comfort they could. Connor glanced at the line of twenty-three bodies that were beyond any earthly help. Fifteen first years and eight second years had died horribly at the hands of the vampires and despite his deep shame and sorrow at the children’s loss, Connor was also deeply relieved that they had managed to keep the death toll down to such small numbers. The most serious injuries had been moved to the hospital wing, but large as it was, there was simply no room for the overwhelming numbers of injured to be housed there and Madam Pomfrey had wasted no time in making full use of her newly sanctioned apparating abilities and moving like mob-capped lightening between the triage centre in the hall and the desperate need of the children in the hospital.

Connor leaned against the wall as Professor McGonagall bade Ron and Harry to strip off their shirts and began to examine their various cuts and bruises from the fight. Even though Harry had remained in the air for the most part he had still managed to acquire an impressive collection of bruises and an especially impressive cut over his eye from a hurled chair that a vampire had thrown in an attempt to bring him down off his broom. Ron was a livid canvas of purple and blue with fat streaks of red blood trailing over his chest and back where he had been clawed and battered through the fight. His face was covered with dried blood from where he had taken a hit to the left side of his face and the skin over his eye and on his cheek had burst into two jagged cuts. Connor turned as he felt a light touch on his arm and blinked wearily at the young assistant witch to Madam Pomfrey, “Yes?”

“Miss Summers said that you have a bad cut on your back that needs looking at.” Penelope Clearwater smiled coolly at the blood soaked face before her and tugged lightly on Connor’s arm to encourage him to follow her to the long dining table that was doubling as an all purpose examination table.

“I’m fine. I’ve had worse.” Connor scowled as the blonde ignored his protests and kept moving, towing him behind her.

“I’m sure you have, Mr Angel, but I think you’ll find you haven’t had worse at Hogwarts. Please take your shirt off.” Penelope gave her own scowl as Connor batted her hands away from his shirt buttons and clutched his shirt neck to him like a Victorian maiden, “Don’t be ridiculous. I merely wish to assess your injuries.

“I can take my own damn shirt off and I said I’m fine. Leave me the hell alone.” Connor pushed away from the table and stuck his jaw out belligerently, “Go see to the people that are really hurt.”

Dawn looked round Connor’s raised voice and dodged around the Auror trying to bandage a nasty cut on her chin, “Connor, it’s ok.” She hastily nudged Penelope aside and stood in front of her boyfriend to face the older girl, “It’s fine, I’ll take care of it.” She could feel Connor vibrating with tension and stress against her back and reached back to place one soft hand on his thigh, “Really, we’re used to taking care of each other, I’ll deal with it.” Penelope eyed them both narrowly for a moment before giving a reluctant nod and moving briskly off to Ginny’s side. Dawn turned to Connor, “You ok?”

“Yeah.” Connor flashed a strained smile, “She tried to take my shirt off.”

“The slut.” Dawn gave a gasp of mock outrage and grinned, putting her hands on his hips to push him gently back against the table before smoothing her palms up over his stomach and chest to fiddle with the small buttons of his shirt, “Doesn’t she know that’s my job?”

Connor bit his lip as Dawn caught the edge of a ragged nail against the torn skin of a wound on his chest, “I tried to tell her that.” His breath hissed out from between his teeth as Dawn ignored the people all around her and bent to brush her swollen and bruised mouth over the injury, “She said she could take you.”

Dawn giggled against his skin and flicked out her tongue to brush his nipple as she stood up, “She probably could. Hell, at the moment Clem could probably take me.” She smoothed the hair off Connor’s forehead and smiled wearily, “I can’t remember the last time I fought this hard.”

Connor raised a hand to cup her face as her eyes filled with tears, “Are we melting down now?” His hand trembled against her cheek as he saw another body being carried in through the hall doors and added to the line of children, “Because if I start I may never stop.”

Dawn bent her head forward until their foreheads touched and she looked into his eyes as she whispered, “I don’t care. I love you, Connor.” Her arms went around his neck and she pressed up against him as hard as she could, “I thought they were going to kill them all.”

Connor buried his face in the curve of her neck, “Me too, honey, me too.” He squeezed his eyes shut against the burn of salty tears against his lids and tried to force away the image in his head of twisted and torn bodies when the vampires had finally been defeated. His arms folded around Dawn’s waist and he clutched at her desperately as she began to vent her fear and anger in a storm of angry weeping, soaking the skin of his chest as her tears mingled with the drying blood there.

Ron raised a hand to stop Madam Pomfrey as she turned from him to go to his friends when she heard Dawn’s sobs, “Leave them for a moment, please Madam. They just need a minute.”

“Mr Weasley, they may be grievously injured and they are obviously deeply distressed…” Madam Pomfrey’s face was lined with care and shock as she glared at Ron; her lips were pursed with annoyance at one of her students daring to tell her how to care for the injured in her care.

“I said leave them!” Ron’s voice cracked like a whip and he jumped off the table he was seated on to tower over the elderly witch. Hermione felt her mouth drop open as her best friend stood bare chested with his hands on hips and glared down at one of their teachers to say firmly, “They aren’t in any need of any medical attention at the moment and until I say so you will leave them be. Is that clear?”

Madam Pomfrey’s mouth opened and shut as she made a peculiar gobbling sound in the back of her throat and her face flushed with shocked fury. Ginny stared speechlessly at Hermione before the brown-haired girl stumbled hastily to Ron’s side, “Ron, I don’t think…”

“Be quiet!” Hermione joined Madam Pomfrey in the shocked gobbling competition as Ron switched his gaze to her, “And why haven’t you gotten fixed up yet, Hermione?” Hermione blinked as Ron took her chin in his hand and turned her face to the side to glare angrily at her bruised face, “Right, go over there, sit down and I don’t want to hear another word from you until you’ve been treated, understood?” Ron moved his hand from Hermione’s shocked face to her shoulder, turning her to march her firmly back to Ginny’s side and calling over his shoulder, “Madam, I would appreciate it if you would come and see to my sister and Hermione. Please.” Despite the courtesy added on to the end of the sentence it was quite clear from Ron’s voice that he had just issued an order and expected it to be followed. Now.

Harry watched in dumbfounded amazement as the mediwitch reacted with unthinking obedience and hurried hastily after the Head Boy and then met the coldly amused eyes of Professor McGonagall as she began to clean his face, “I believe the Headmaster’s choice in Head Boy was eminently sensible this year, Mr Potter.”

Harry nodded as he watched over the Scottish witch’s shoulder as Ron caught the attention of one of the ministry’s Aurors and, keeping an eye on the still speechless Hermione, began to discuss the arrangements to guard the hall of injured children for the night. “Yes, professor, I think it was.”

“Were you surprised that Professor Dumbledore did not give you the honour?” Professor McGonagall kept her voice lightly curious but her eyes were fixed on Harry’s face observantly as she began to smear on a thick white potion that smelled unpleasantly of sulphur and decayed roses.

Harry blinked. “No!” He shook his head slightly and smiled tightly, “I’ve got enough problems without worrying about being Head Boy.” He grinned at his Ron as the taller boy began to issue sharp orders to the Aurors around him and direct the flummoxed older wizards around the hall, “Ron’s always been the one for the strategies and battle plans, I’m the muscle. He’s just what the school needs this year.”

“Hmm.” Professor McGonagall snorted wryly, “Perhaps if he could be persuaded to pay a little more attention to his studies he might also set the example of academic excellence to the younger students rather than just his bravery and courage.”

Harry sucked in a breath as the witch prodded sharply at a bruise spreading across his ribs and then said harshly, “Not a lot of point if all the students are dead, Professor. Ron’s exactly what we need at the moment and Professor Dumbledore knew that I think. We can rely on him to do what’s right for Hogwarts.”

There was a long pause and then Professor McGonagall placed a hand against Harry’s cheek softly, “Quite so, Harry, quite so.”

Harry smiled slightly and then rolled his eyes as he saw Ron begin to bristle over the witch’s shoulder, “Of course we can also rely on him to make a complete arse out of himself at every opportunity.” He jumped down to the floor and winced at the look of disapproval on his former head of house’s expression at his choice language, “Sorry, Professor. Excuse me will you?” He slipped around the woman and hastened to Ron’s side as Victor Krum joined Hermione and Ginny.

“Her-my-o-ninny, you are hurt.” Hermione’s eyes widened as she stared in surprise at Victor Krum and then jumped as he leaned forward to kiss her forehead, “I vas very sorry that ve could not reach you sooner.”

“Victor! What are you doing here?” Hermione’s gaze unconsciously skipped to Ron as his eyes narrowed and he glared darkly at her former sometime boyfriend. She eased to her feet and shifted uncomfortably as Victor gripped her hands passionately, “I…I didn’t know you were here.” Her eyes widened as she realised that he was the other person that flew with Harry during the battle, “Goodness, you flew through the fire!”

“Yes.” Victor pulled her hands up to his mouth and brushed his lips over her bloodstained knuckles, “I vould haff flown through vorse to reach you, Her-my-oh-ninny. I haff been staying on Hogwarts grounds secretly after Durmstrang fell but because of the battle I haff now been able to tell you that I am here. You are pleased, yes?”

“Er…” Hermione glanced again at Ron who was glowering forbiddingly at Viktor’s back and at Harry who was desperately trying to divert his friend’s attention from the reunion, “Yes, of course Viktor, I…” The rest of her sentence was cut off as she was tugged against the lean chest of Viktor Krum and he began to passionately kiss her neck, “Oh! Um, Viktor, I…”

What she had been about to say was lost as Viktor was suddenly pulled away from her and Ron yanked her behind him. “Krum.” Ron all but snarled the name as he glared at the much smaller man, “Hermione’s had a nasty shock.” It was unclear whether Ron meant the fight or the reappearance of the renowned seeker. Hermione opened her mouth to speak and then yelped as his fingers tightened fiercely on her wrist in warning before Ron carried on smoothly, “You can see she’s tired and we still have a lot to do. You can see her in the morning.”

“I vish to speak with Her-my-oh-ninny now, Ron. I haff been vaiting a long…”

“And I said you can see her in the morning.” Ron stepped towards Viktor and shamelessly made use of his extra height and bulk as he forced the dark haired man back a pace when he invaded his personal space, “I’m afraid I have to insist. I need her with me.”

Harry shot Ron a shocked look at the harshness of his tone and comprehension dawned as he stared between the speechless Hermione, the glowering Viktor and the possessive grip Ron had on Hermione’s wrist. Ron flushed as Harry’s mouth formed an understanding ‘oh’ and then Harry flashed a wide grin at his friend and took Viktor’s arm firmly, “Ron’s right, Viktor. We have a lot to do. Come with me and we’ll find out about where you’re to sleep tonight.” He tugged the spluttering Bulgarian away still grinning at Ron’s scarlet face.

“What the bloody hell do you think you’re playing at Ronald Weasley?” Ron stumbled forward as Hermione used her free hand to shove him smartly between the shoulder blades, tugging her imprisoned wrist free as he tried to regain his balance, “How dare you speak to Viktor like that?”

“Herm…” Ron turned and took a step backwards as his love went off like a bushy, brown-haired rocket under his nose.

“What the hell gives you the right to treat me like that? And how could you be so rude to Viktor? He saved us and all he wanted to do was say hello to me!” Hermione’s chest heaved with outrage as she clenched her fists at her side and Ron made a concentrated effort to focus on her angry face rather than the tantalising flesh moving under her torn sweater. He blinked as Hermione took another deep breath and poked a sharp finger into his naked chest as she snarled, “What the bloody hell gives you the right to start acting like a…a… Neanderthal arse the minute a very dear friend…”

Ron grabbed the finger that seemed to be trying to bore straight through to his heart and thoroughly lost the precarious hold he had on his temper, “Me? What gives you the bloody right to act like some kind of tart the minute Vikky bloody Krum turns up on the scene?” He let go of her finger sharply and indulged in a poke of his own against her shoulder as he spat accusingly, “You said it was over between you!”

“Um…” Ginny winced as she glanced around the hall and saw that her brother and her friend were the centre of the students’ and professors’ fascinated attention, “Come on you two, perhaps this isn’t the time…”

“Belt up, Gin!” Ron glared at his sister as she flinched back from his angry roar,

“This isn’t anything to do with you.” He swung back to Hermione the very picture of moral outrage, “This is all about her and her filthy, idiotic taste in men!”

Hermione gasped, “You sod! What the hell does it have to do with you who I see? You can stick your opinions right where the sun doesn’t…”

“Perhaps we should allow them some privacy, Weasley?” Ginny leapt a foot in the air at the quiet voice in her ear and then wriggled as Draco Malfoy took her arm firmly as he pulled her into the shadows by the wall. He stood in front of her, blocking her view of Ron and Hermione as they shouted furiously at each other and placed a casual hand beside her head, preventing her from making a break for freedom further into the hall.

“Stay away from me.” Ginny took comfort that her command came out in a firm voice and was unaware that her eyes were wide with panic in her face.

Draco tipped his head to the side and kept his face blank as he saw the pulse in her throat beat wildly under her skin. His feet shifted when he felt the sting of shame at her fearful look and then he hastily stepped back as Ginny opened her mouth to scream when she misunderstood his move and thought he was moving closer to her, “Alright, alright!” He held his hands up and tried to look as unthreatening as he possibly could. “Don’t lose your head, Weasel. I assure you, not even I would dare to try and have you right under the noses of Saint bloody Potter and your brother.” He moved quickly as Ginny tried to dart past him and blocked her way again, “I merely wished to make certain you were unharmed.”

“What do you care?” Ginny raised a hand to push past him and gave a small scream as he grabbed her wrist and stared at the marked skin there, “Let go of me!”

“You are hurt.” Malfoy ignored her frantic tugging and examined the dark red marks that were turning purple against the pale cream of her arm, “Have you had these looked at?”

Ginny flushed as he traced a slow finger over her bruises and pulled desperately at her wrist, “No!” She pushed against his chest frantically with her other hand, “And the vampires didn’t do that, you did!” She missed his sickened look as she kicked wildly out, “Let me go!”

Draco let her go so abruptly that she fell heavily back against the wall. Their eyes met and held for a moment before Ginny tugged the sleeves of her jumper back down over her arm and pushed past him and back into the light of the hall. “Ginny…” Malfoy reached for her as she darted past him and then his hand dropped back to his side as he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

He watched her as she skirted the still shouting Ron and Hermione and almost ran to the safety of Connor and Dawn’s side. The two Americans had finally broken apart and were now watching the floorshow that Ron and Hermione were providing with the same avid interest as the rest of the hall. Dawn smiled at Ginny and slung an arm around the younger girl’s shoulder as she muttered something and Connor grinned as he leaned down to add his own comment.

Draco was just turning away from the scene when Connor’s eyes narrowed and his head shot up to stare around the hall. His eyes darted around and then settled on Draco still standing in the shadows. Connor kept his eyes on Malfoy as he leaned down again and sniffed at Ginny’s head and then he darted a look at her pale face. A horribly dark look flooded his face as his lips drew back in a feral snarl and Draco took a step back from the wave of pure male menace that suddenly flooded his way. Connor looked for a moment as though he would shove Dawn aside and come for the Slytherin prefect but he instead settled for keeping one arm about Dawn as he nudged her to one side and then looping his other one tightly around Ginny. He snarled again when she visibly recoiled before realising who it was that held her and hesitantly laid her head against the side of his chest.

Draco felt his mouth drop open with shock as Connor mouthed deliberately, ‘Watch your back.’ and felt his throat go dry as he realised that somehow the other boy had managed to put two and two together and come up with a glaringly obvious four. He drew the ripped and tattered remnants of his robe about him as he stepped back further into the shadows, uneasily remembering Connor’s fight with the boggart and the bloodthirsty fury on his face when he had quite literally ripped apart demons with his bare hands. He had the feeling that a reoccurrence of a vampire attack was the last thing he needed to worry about now that Connor Angel was apparently gunning for him.

Harry had succeeded in off-loading the furious Krum on Madam Pince and was making his speedy way back up the hall towards his two best friends. Although reeling from the realisation that Ron’s crush on Hermione hadn’t died as much of a death as he had thought, Harry was still in control enough of himself that he realised it was up to him to call a halt to the slanging match in the hall as apparently everyone else in the vicinity was too enthralled to bother.

He picked up his pace as Ron snatched at Hermione’s shoulders to haul her up onto her toes and shake her furiously while he bellowed in her face and Hermione’s hand snaked up between them to slap furiously across Ron’s injured face. Of course, breaking up the fight might actually become a moot point if they actually killed each other first. Harry caught Connor’s eye and broke into a run as the other boy slipped hastily away from Dawn and Ginny to try and pull Ron away from Hermione before he actually snapped her neck by mistake.

“You bastard!” Connor winced at Hermione’s high-pitched howl as Harry caught her against his chest and dragged her back from Ron when she tried to scrape her fingernails down his cheek, “You bloody bastard!”

Connor pressed Ron back as the taller boy tried to grab her back from Harry, “Come on, just calm down.”

“I’m going to bloody kill her!” Ron tried to knock Connor aside and bellowed angrily, “Did you hear what the bloody hell she called me?”

“She didn’t mean it!” Connor shoved Ron back a step and gripped his arms, “What the hell is the matter with you both? Just calm down…Oof!” Connor crashed into the nearby table, eyes wide with stunned surprise, as Ron shoved him aside and folded in half clutching his midriff wheezing, “Ron!”

Hermione squirmed frantically in Harry’s arms half-blinded by angry tears and yelled, “Yes I did! I meant every word! He’s a filthy, scum-sucking piece of…”

“MISS GRANGER!” Professor McGonagall stepped in front of Ron and glared authoratively between the two teenagers, “I will thank you both to remember that there are some very sick children here and they have suffered enough upset for one night without the added trauma of seeing their Head Boy and a senior prefect descend into a common brawl.” Her piercing gaze swung to Hermione’s face, “And I don’t need to remind you that there is acceptable use of language in a school and then there is the filth that just came out of your mouth, Miss Granger.”

Hermione swallowed and looked around her at the avid audience still glued to herself and Ron and bit her lip, “I…I’m sorry, Professor. I don’t know what got into me.” Her body sagged as the tension abruptly drained away and Harry released her, keeping a cautious hand on her shoulder just in case she decided to go postal again, “The battle and…and…” Her eyes filled up again and Dawn and Ginny hurried forward to flank her as she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“Long night.” Dawn, with her own partial meltdown behind her, put a consoling arm round Hermione and glared accusingly at Ron, “Your first big vamp attack always takes it out of you. The stress you know.” Ginny slipped an arm around Hermione’s waist and glared at her brother furiously in place of the man that was currently giving her problems. Ron looked slightly startled at the venomous looks he was receiving from Dawn and Ginny and glanced behind him to make sure there wasn’t a vamp sneaking up behind him that they’d missed. He didn’t look especially reassured to see there wasn’t.

“Yes, of course.” Professor McGonagall looked at the teenagers around her and realised somehow she had allowed their bravery and capable manner blind her to the fact that they were still, in essence, children. Their faces were drawn and pale with strain and looked unbearably young, Ginny and Dawn especially looked barely older than the first and second years they had fought so hard to save. “I believe you have done all you can here for this evening. Perhaps it might be best if you retired to your…”

“Seamus!” Ron’s shout of relief made everyone jump and then he was leaping forward as Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas led the first wave of the returning students from Hogsmeade. Harry and the others followed in Ron’s wake as he hurled himself at Seamus, Dean and Neville as they staggered tiredly through the doors of the hall. “Thank Merlin you’re ok!” Ron cast quick appraising eyes over the drenched and shocked group of students that were climbing the stone stairs slowly and filling the passageway behind, “Did everyone else make it?”

Seamus stared up at Ron with blank eyes and then looked past him to the beds and injured filling the hall, “Did they come here too?” He shook his head vacantly, “We tried to stop them. We tried to get back and…” Seamus clenched his hands at his side and shook his head, “There were just so many o’ them.”

Dean dragged his forearm over his face, smearing the blood from a nasty gash on his forehead into his hair, “What happened?” From the corner of his eye he caught sight of the covered bodies lying in a row, “Oh God…”

Harry hastily moved to block Dean’s view, “They attacked here as well. Death Eaters and vampires, we held them off as long as we could, but…”

Neville swayed, “We saw the Aurors in the school grounds but we thought they were just here protecting the school.”

Harry shook his head, “No.” He stood on his tiptoes to peer over his friends’ heads, “Have you any injured?”

“Yes!” Justin Finch-Fletchley pushed his way forward cradling Hannah Abbott in his arms, “Han got hit with a curse. We can’t wake her up.” His knees buckled suddenly and Connor moved like lightening to snatch the unconscious girl from his arms before they both hit the floor.

“Connor, get her to Madam Pomfrey.” Dawn stepped forward as Ron and Harry hastily grabbed at Justin, “The rest of you get in here. Anyone able to walk or wait for medical attention help the ones that can’t. Hermione, Gin, check for bites…”

“Get lost!” Dean swung out with his fist and caught Dawn on her jaw as she took Neville’s arm, “Stay the fuck away from us you bloody…” Ron’s fist came out of nowhere and ploughed into Dean’s face to send him crashing to the floor.

“ENOUGH!” Shaking with anger and reaction Ron stood over Dean breathing heavily and staring wildly at the shocked faces before him, “That’s enough, no bloody more.” He kicked Dean back to the floor as the other boy tried to scramble to his feet, “STAY DOWN!” Ron shook off Harry’s hand and pointed a rigid finger at the students before him, “You may not want to listen to her but, by Merlin, you will bloody listen to the Head Boy.”

He grabbed Seamus by the scruff of his cloak and shook him violently, “We’ve been fighting demons and Death Eaters all night and I am damned if I’m going to fight you lot as well. Get your whining, pathetic arses in here and do as she said or I swear by all the houses I will make you sorry you escaped from Hogsmeade tonight.” Abruptly he let go of Seamus and shoved him forward into the hall, “Now move it!”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Dean climbed to his feet and stood swaying before Ron, “You bloody traitor…”

“He’s the Head Boy.” Hermione and Ginny flanked Ron and then Dawn and Harry joined them, holding their wands steadily before them. Hermione lifted her chin and stared Dean down, all anger with Ron put aside in the face of the animosity directed at them, “He’s the Head Boy and what he says goes, now do as you’re bloody well told or the lot of you will find out first hand how we won here tonight.”

There was an angry murmuring from the students and Dawn braced herself as they began to push forward then from behind her there came a scream. She spun around and saw one of the bodies on the floor had risen and pushed aside the cloak covering its formerly dead face. “SHIT!” Dawn bent and grabbed for a discarded stake on the floor, “Connor, we got a live one here!”

She ran towards the snarling, distorted demon that now inhabited the body of a wiry dark-haired boy, oblivious to the screams that filled the room again. She was aware of Connor vaulting beds and students behind her and then she threw herself forward to tackle the deceptively frail looking demon to the floor and smack her sore fist into its eye. As its head snapped to the side Dawn reared up and without hesitation plunged the stake in her hand into its chest. The demon froze, staring up at Dawn in disbelief and as it crumbled into dust beneath her she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Connor skidded to a halt beside her and hauled her to her feet, “What the hell was that? They shouldn’t be able to rise that fast.”

Dawn stared at the other bodies on the floor then became aware of the fresh wails and screams behind her. She glanced back and muttered, “It might be different with magical humans. We can’t take the risk, we’ll have to dispose of the bodies tonight.” She took his arm and walked hurriedly back to Ron and the others, ignoring the horrified looks on Dean and the others’ faces. “I don’t know if any more will rise but we need to make sure they don’t. We need to burn the bodies.”

Ron closed his eyes for a moment and then nodded, “Ok.” He glanced sideways at the now silent students and squared his shoulders decisively, “We need your help. What Dawn just killed was a demon and if we leave the children where they are then there’s a chance more demons could take over their bodies and then it’ll start all over again. I need volunteers to help us take the bodies into the grounds and burn them before that happens.”

“She k…killed a k…kid…” Neville pointed a shaking hand at Dawn, “R…right in f… front of us.”

“Oh for the love of the Goddess!” Dawn put her hands on her hips and tilted her chin challengingly, “Will you listen! They aren’t kids anymore, they’re dead. All of them. Vampires killed them and there’s a chance some of them have been turned and that they could rise as demons themselves. They’re demons and they have no souls, nothing human in them any longer. Connor and I are demon hunters. Killers. We fight demons and we slay them and trust me when I say you don’t want to ignore what I’m saying to you. You need to get over your whole holier-than-Gryffindor ‘tudes and wise the hell up because if you don’t then you are all going to die. Horribly.” Her gaze snapped to Dean, “And just for the record, Wesley Snipes, you pull that fisticuffs crap with me again and I will personally slay your ass where you wobble, are we clear?”

Ginny broke the silence that followed Dawn’s exasperated speech, “Right, I think we’re all casting from the same page in the spell book now. Hermione and I will help anyone that needs medical help and then join you outside, Ron, ok?”

Ron nodded, “Ok.” He jerked his head at Dean and strode off without looking back, “Move it.”

Connor looked at Dawn, “Wesley who? I thought his name was Dean?”


	14. Chapter Thirteen B

An hour later and all the senior members of all four houses stood with Harry and his friends as Ron touched a flaming torch to the funeral pyre that had been hastily assembled near the edge of the Forbidden Forest and set light to the bodies of those that had fallen in the second battle for Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy stood at the front of the massed ranks of Slytherin behind him and kept his eyes on the fire as it began to claim the small bodies visible through the smoke.

While Ron and the others had been engaged in starting to transport the dead from the hall, he had belatedly remembered that his own house had returned from Hogsmeade just before the attack had sounded and had sped off to the Slytherin common room filled with a terrible suspicion. He had erupted through the still open door and stared wildly around him at the empty room before slowly turning and looking at the wide stairs leading to the sleeping areas. Fists clenched at his side he had began to move towards the steps before common sense managed to batter its way through the haze of red fury clouding his mind and vision and he realised that although he was by far the most skilled wizard in his house, the likelihood of his being able to take out all of his house by himself was slim to none.

Draco stood in the middle of the room, breathing heavily as he tried to think of his best course of action. He found it hard to believe that it was happy coincidence that his house members had arrived safely back before the village was attacked and knew without a doubt that one or more of the students had been warned by their parents of the coming attack. He thought furiously for a moment and concluded that his own decision to stay at school and not visit the village would be interpreted by his friends as a precaution to safeguard his skin after a warning by his own parents.

Draco frowned slightly, why hadn’t he been warned? After the events of the summer holidays he should have surely been informed, if for no other reason than he could have seen to it that the lower years of Slytherin were kept safely out of harm’s way. Shaking off a niggle of unease, he glanced up at the stairs again and reached a decision, striding quickly forward he bellowed up the stairs, “Down here, now. All of you!”

He retreated back to the dying fire and stood with his back to it as his housemates came slowly down the stairs, waiting patiently until they stood quietly before him in their dress robes for the feast. Draco swept a negligent hand through the air and drawled carelessly, “You won’t be needing your good robes. The attack on the school and the village finally happened and we’ve all been ordered to the hall to assist Potter and his merry band in clearing the dead.” He kept his eyes carefully hooded but watched carefully for any signs of triumph or pleasure on the faces before him. Good Slytherins to a man, they kept their faces a careful blank. Draco sighed sharply, “Well, go on and get changed. It doesn’t pay to keep old man Dumb-as-a-door waiting after all.”

Pansy stepped forward frowning, “What happened to you?” She indicated Draco’s robes that were far from their usual immaculate black, “Why do you look like that?”

Cursing furiously in his head, Draco forced himself to give her a cool smile; “I got caught up in the battle when I went to lead our kids back from the hall. Sadly, some of our fanged friends seem to be a bit colour blind regarding the house badges and they decided I looked a tasty treat.” His smile slipped from cool to meaningful as he raised his eyebrows at her, “I’m sure you remember what that’s like, Pansy.” The girl flushed and then bit her lip as she fluttered her eyelashes coquettishly at him. Fighting the urge to hex her into the middle of next week, Draco instead managed to find a smirk dripping with innuendo and sex deep inside himself, “Now as much as it pains me to order you out of your clothes and straight into another set, I’m afraid I really must insist.”

Malfoy managed to hold himself erect until they had all disappeared up the stairs to the dorms once more and then turned and vomited helplessly into the fireplace. He gripped the mantle above his bowed head with white-knuckled hands as his stomach heaved time and time again and the faces of the dead children, some his own housemates for Merlin’s sake, swam before his eyes. Finally, after an eternity, he stilled and straightened to draw a shaking arm over his mouth. With a quick flick of his wand he re-ignited the dead fire and then muttered a charm to disguise the gut-wrenching smell of burnt vomit in the room. When the rest of the house rejoined him, he was once more the image of his old self and only someone who looked very closely would have seen the tiny spark of righteous fury in his eyes as he coldly ordered them to follow him back down to the hall.

Draco lifted his eyes from the fire and looked up to meet the weeping eyes of Ginny Weasley as she stood in Harry Potter’s arms, watching the fire burn. For a long moment they stared at each other and then Draco blinked as Ginny mouthed one word at him. Tomorrow.

Ron stood with an arm around Hermione’s shoulder as he tossed the torch in his hand onto the flames and swallowed against the burn of tears in his throat. All around him were sobs and wails as the children burned and by his side Dawn and Connor stood tall with set faces as they determinedly saw their grim duty through to the end. He pulled Hermione closer against the old shirt that McGonagall had thrust into his hand before they had begun to carry the bodies out and wondered how they did it. His mind was in danger of shutting down completely from the horror and carnage he’d witnessed that evening and he wasn’t exactly a stranger to danger himself. But Dawn and Connor had, by all accounts, faced this and worse practically every night of their lives and yet still they stood tall ready to face evil down the next time it showed any of its many faces.

As though aware of his thoughts, Dawn turned her head to face him and stared for a moment with reflected flames from the fire dancing in her luminous green eyes. Her face was drawn with exhaustion but the expression of resolve and bitter fury on it was one that Ron would remember until the end of his days. Dawn reached for his hand and squeezed lightly, “Voldemort had his day today.” She took Connor’s hand with her other one waited until Ron linked his with Hermione and she had linked with Harry and Ginny. Dawn nodded, turned back to the fire and said flatly, “Now it’s our turn.”

  
  
  
  


* * *

Connor waited until he was sure everyone was fast asleep and then quietly slipped from his bed. He paced to the window, ignoring the cold air against his nearly naked body and leaned against the window seat to stare down into the dark and silent school grounds. Behind him Harry and Ron slept deeply, worn out by the events of the evening and if he strained his ears he could hear the slow, even breaths of the three girls in the other dormitory. He rolled his shoulders slowly and deepened his breathing to try and slow his racing mind and un-tense his body from the earlier savage fight, but was forced to admit defeat after five futile minutes wheezing like a steam train up a sharp hill.

A movement caught his eye and he stared towards the Quidditch pitch where a figure weaved back and forwards through the air like they were salaaming down a mountain in Austria. Connor narrowed his eyes a stray moonbeam caught the hair of the figure and he saw a flash of white blond hair. He glanced back at Harry and Ron and then made up his mind abruptly. Quickly and stealthily he dressed in jeans and a top and grabbed his axe from the foot of the bed. After sticking his head into the girl’s room to check that they were sleeping peacefully, Connor slipped through the common room and out into the school. He managed to make it through the main body of the school without being spotted but just as he was starting down the stone staircase his name was called softly across the empty hall. “Mr Angel.”

Connor turned and was unsurprised to find himself looking at Professor Dumbledore, “Oh hey, you’re still up.”

“As are you, I see. Do you have permission to be out of bed?” Professor Dumbledore suppressed the twitch of his lips at Connor’s genuinely startled expression at the thought of the Destroyer needing permission to be going anywhere, much less for a midnight jaunt through a recent battleground. “Is there something I need to be aware of?”

“Uh…No?” Connor hurriedly tucked his axe out of sight behind his back as the Headmaster looked pointedly at the weapon and shrugged, “Don’t leave home without one.”

“Quite.” Dumbledore tucked his hands into the sleeves of his robes and peered at Connor in the dim light, “Are you alright, Mr Angel?”

Connor rolled his shoulders uneasily under the penetrating eyes, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little wired from the fight, is all.”

“I see. Perhaps Madam Pomfrey could make you a potion to help you…”

“No!” Connor scowled darkly, “No magic.”

Dumbledore eyed the boy for a moment and then nodded, “As you wish. Perhaps I could be permitted to accompany you on your stroll before bed?” His teeth flashed in the dark, “I also seem to find myself a little…wired?”

Connor looked suspiciously at the old wizard for a minute and then gave a belligerent shrug, “Whatever.” He turned and headed down the stairs not waiting to see if the older man followed him. Outside Connor deliberately turned in the opposite direction to the Quidditch pitch and moved at a brisk pace towards the lake, his eyes on the floor and mouth firmly closed to discourage any attempt at small talk.

Professor Dumbledore kept pace effortlessly for a few minutes and then took a deep lungful of air, “I find the world seems a much cleaner place after a sharp shower of rain, don’t you think?” Connor grunted but refrained from actually replying, concentrating on suppressing the urge to break into a run and leave Hogwarts and the scene of the battle behind him for a time. The wildness was clawing inside him to be released and his skin hummed with the need to let go his restraint and just drive his body to complete exhaustion in a bid to suppress the bloody images in his head. The Headmaster glanced at Connor from the corner of his eye and sighed quietly before saying, “I imagine this must be very difficult.” He gestured around him at Connor’s inquisitive look and explained, “Forced to live in a world that you neither respect nor trust and surrounded by people who seem to wish you nothing but harm.”

Connor gave a bark of bitter laughter before he could stop himself, “Story of my life.” Long lashes swept over his violet eyes to hide the sudden flash of vulnerability in their depths.

“And yet you risk your young life at every opportunity to save the very world that has betrayed you so badly.” Dumbledore shook his head, “I imagine it must be a very lonely existence.”

“It was.” Connor felt his heart sigh as an image of Dawn’s loving face popped into his mind, “Not any more.”

“Ah, yes, the lovely Miss Summers.” Professor Dumbledore smiled widely, “I imagine she must be a great comfort to you.”

Connor nodded and glanced over as they passed Hagrid’s cottage and Fang gave a frightened yelp, “She’s everything.”

“And yet, here you are, alone in the small hours of the morning wandering through the deserted school grounds and talking with a man old enough to be your grandfather.”

Connor snorted, “You look good for three hundred plus.” His eyes were bright with sudden humour as he grinned at the white-haired old man, “Or are you really a sprightly five hundred? My parents are vampires, remember?”

Dumbledore gave a rich chuckle, “Of course.” He shook his head, “Well, I can claim to be somewhat advanced in years but thankfully nowhere near my three century mark. My point is that perhaps you could have talked to Miss Summers and she could have helped you settle?”

Connor’s face darkened into a scowl again, “She’s tired. She didn’t need to worry about me tonight.”

“But perhaps she wanted to?” Dumbledore cut his eyes to Connor’s profile, set and strained under the light of the moon, “I believe Miss Summers would have welcomed the opportunity to help you set this evening behind you.”

Connor shook his head sharply, “No. We were together tonight but now this is my time to…to…” He trailed off as his fists clenched and his chest heaved for breath before he burst out, “She doesn’t need to see the darkness in me.”

“Forgive me, Mr Angel, but I don’t believe Miss Summers would see the darkness in you if you dipped yourself in black paint and suddenly sprouted horns.” Professor Dumbledore gave a roguish grin at the look on Connor’s face, “I may be old but my memory is as good as it ever was. I can remember the power and thrill of love and the wonder of looking on my soul mate’s face and seeing nothing but perfection there.” The grin faded to a soft smile of affectionate memory, “And between you and me, Elise was quite homely in comparison to your love and meaner than hippogriff in heat. Ah, here we are.”

Connor tore his eyes from the wise face above him and gave a startled blink as he realised that somehow they had wandered through the school grounds until they had arrived at the edge of the Quidditch pitch. He flushed guiltily under Dumbledore’s amused eyes and made a point of focusing on the figure speeding through the air high above them.

“I imagine Mr Malfoy would be glad of someone to unburden himself to tonight.” Professor Dumbledore very carefully kept all expression out of his voice but couldn’t resist taking a peep at Connor’s horrified expression from the corner of his eye.

“I don’t do bonding.” Connor folded his arms across his chest and spoke in tones of deep finality, much like the one tone he had used in Madam Malkin’s when it came to trying on the man dresses/robes. “And I don’t do expressing or sharing of emotion. Ever.”

“I see.” Professor Dumbledore clasped his hands behind his back and cocked his head to one side thoughtfully as he watched Malfoy hurtle towards the ground in a break neck dive and wrench his broomstick up at the last possible moment to avoid death by high velocity impact. “Perhaps you might consider sharing this instead?” He brought his hand out from behind his back and Connor gaped at the bottle of whisky clasped in his hand.

“You want me to get one of your students drunk?” Connor eyes darted between the bottle and Dumbledore’s face incredulously, “You actually want me to get one of the people in your care drunk?”

“Absolutely not.” Professor Dumbledore shook his head reprovingly, “I want two of my students to get drunk. Yourself and Mr Malfoy to be exact.”

Connor’s eyes darted from side to side nervously as he briefly considered the possibility that he’d taken a hit to the head tonight that had gone undetected in the chaos of the battle and its aftermath and he was now hallucinating his ass off. Either that or Cordelia and Angel were hiding behind a nearby tree waiting for him to reach for the whisky and were then going to pounce and deliver the disappointed parent lecture of a lifetime. He sniffed the air suspiciously. Nope, no trace of hair-gel or slightly cloying perfume.

“If you don’t allow yourself to let go soon you may snap. I suspect that may be a bad thing.” Professor Dumbledore kept his tone light but his expression was deadly serious as he stared at Connor, “I firmly believe that age is a state of mind and not of the body, Connor. As you are so reluctant to accept magical assistance, perhaps a more traditional remedy may help.” The bottle waggled again, “There is no shame in taking help where it is needed and I know that without assistance yourself and Mr Malfoy will continue blame yourselves for tonight’s events and will face much greater problems along the line.” The whisky was shoved into Connor’s unresisting hand, “Take it, and with my blessing go and get thoroughly relaxed.”

Connor stared open mouthed as the old man wheeled around and strode back towards the school, calling over his shoulder, “I will make sure that you remain undisturbed. Please stay away from the school whilst you are…indisposed.” Connor stayed rooted to the spot until the shape of the old wizard was lost even to his enhanced night vision and then stared at the bottle of amber liquid in his hand. He raised the bottle and sniffed suspiciously at it, but aside from the metallic smell of the foil wrapped around the lid he could detect no scent of anything but glass. Connor turned as he heard a muffled thump and saw Draco rolling heavily across the grass of the Quidditch pitch before coming to a halt and lying motionless face up on the ground.

Connor broke into a run and sprinted to the other boy’s side, skidding to a halt beside Malfoy’s head, “Are you alright?”

Malfoy blinked as Connor’s face suddenly blocked his view of the stars and then groaned, “Oh fan-bloody-tastic. What do you want?”

“Still not dead then?” Connor reached down and hauled Draco to his feet, “Anything broken?”

Malfoy batted away Connor’s hands as he checked him for broken bones, “Do you mind!”

“Relax Mary, your virtue is safe with me.” Connor gave Malfoy an old-fashioned look and nodded in satisfaction, “Well, you seem fine.”

“It’s Malfoy!” Draco glared at Connor as he resettled his robes around him, “Muggle.”

Connor raised an eyebrow, “Oh yeah, you’re definitely ok.” His fist moved so fast through the air that Malfoy would swear later it blurred and then he was flying through the air for the second time in under a minute to crash painfully back to the ground. Connor stomped after him, placed his heavy boot on Draco’s unprotected throat and ground down sharply, “Now tell me what the hell you did to Ginny earlier or I’ll crush your windpipe like a newt eye.”

“Ah…ugh…ahh…”

Connor scowled at the desperate gasping from under the sole of his boot and pushed down a little more, “And don’t bother to lie to me because I smelt you all over her, you son-of-a-bitch.” The pressure increased just a little more, “And I smelt her fear. If you hurt her you’re just a step away from the ass-kicking of a life time, buddy.”

Draco beat frantically at Connor’s ankles as his air supply was cut off and his face began to turn purple through lack of oxygen. Connor watched with interest as the boy beneath his foot began to foam at the mouth, “Cool. You don’t get this with demons. Can you make the blood vessels in your eyes burst as well?” Draco paused for a minute in his wild flailing to stare in disbelief at the fascinated face above and then with a frantic burst on energy began to thump Connor’s leg again. Connor winced, “Ow, that stings.” His boot eased back slightly and Draco sucked desperately for air, “Let’s hear it then, Molly.”

Malfoy’s face worked as he tried to drag in air and he spat hoarsely, “Mal..foy. My name is Malfoy. Connie.”

Connor’s eyebrows went up in reluctant admiration, “You’re one of those never-know-when-to-quit-types, huh?” He took his foot off Draco’s throat and hauled him upright before giving him a hard cuff to the side of his head that sent him to his hands and knees, “I respect that, I really do, but unfortunately for you I respect Ginny more.” He kicked Malfoy’s arms out from under him and watched as the other boy pitched face forward into the wet grass, “So tell me what happened between you and I absolutely swear I’ll only kill you the once. Probably.”

Draco raised his head from the ground, spitting out grass and mud, “Piss off, you…”

Connor rolled his eyes, “Oh for God’s sake, just give it up already.” He leaned down and pushed Malfoy’s face back into the mud, ignoring the wildly flailing arms and bucking of the larger boy, “Just answer the goddamn question.”

Draco sucked in a mouthful of air as his head was yanked back, “Nothing! Nothing happened!”

Connor shoved his head back down, “Liar.” He pushed down hard and rubbed the blond head in his hand furiously into the floor. “Try again.”

“I…pushed…her…down.” Draco spat out more mud and blinked to clear the filth from his eyes, “She…broke into…our common room…and I caught…her.” His chest burned with more than a lack of oxygen as he saw again Ginny’s white fearful face and he tried to tug his hair from Connor’s implacable grip, “I didn’t… mean to…hurt her.”

Connor sat back on his heels and then abruptly let go of Draco, “But you did.” He watched as the wet and filthy prefect rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky, “Didn’t you?”

“Yes.” Draco rubbed a hand over his face and scooped the mud from his eyes, blinking at the burning in them, “Yes, I did. I got…caught up in the moment.”

Connor nodded, “It happens.” He glanced around him and then reached out and snagged the abandoned bottle of whisky, “Drink?”

“What?” Malfoy pushed himself up onto shaky arms and stared from the whisky to Connor’s face, “What’s this, a condemned man’s last drink?”

Connor laughed, “Kinda.” His teeth flashed in the starlight, “Only it’s not me that’s gonna be killing you.” He ripped off the foil on the bottle and unscrewed the cap, “Here’s to Ginny Weasley, slayer of dragons.” He tipped back the bottle took a healthy swig and then completely ruined his man-of-the-world persona when he choked and spat the whisky straight in Malfoy’s eye.

“HEY!” Draco recoiled and scrubbed frantically at his face, “Are you completely insane?” Connor clutched at his throat and gasped entertainingly as the some of the potent liquid made its way down. “Give me that!” Malfoy snatched the bottle out of Connor’s unresisting hand, briefly considered cracking him over the head with it, and then took his own pull. Much to Connor’s secret shame the only reaction Malfoy gave was a tiny gasp and a shudder. “Good stuff.”

“God…” Connor blinked back tears as he found he was able to breathe again, “What the hell is that stuff?”

“Firewhisky. Circa 1960 if I’m any judge.” Malfoy handed the bottle back to Connor and watched with a sneer as the smaller boy took a much more cautious sip, “And what the hell did you mean about Weasel?”

Connor shivered as the whisky made its way down and a slow warmth spread through his belly, “Huh? Oh, it’s kind of obvious how you feel about her.” He took another swig of the liquid and held the bottle back out to the appalled Malfoy, “More?”

“What?” Draco stared in horror at Connor, “What the hell are you talking about? I don’t feel anything for the little carrot except revulsion and…” He glared at Connor’s knowing smirk, snatched the bottle to him and took a long pull. “Merlin…does everyone know?”

Connor rolled onto his back and lay companionably alongside Draco, “Nah, just me.” He took the bottle away from Malfoy hastily when Draco raised it again, “And I’m not going to tell anyone. Does Ginny know how you feel?”

“No.” Draco flopped back onto the ground and flung an arm across his eyes, “What would be the point? She hates me.”

“You’ve got it bad, huh?” Connor raised himself up and took a swig before flopping back down again, “And she doesn’t hate you. If she hated you then you’d be in a lot of different pieces right now and I’d be answering a lot of sticky questions about why I was covered in your blood.” He nudged an elbow into Draco’s side, “Tell me what you did and I’ll tell you how much grovelling you can expect to have to do.”

Draco raised his arm, “And why the hell would I tell you anything?”

Connor grinned up at the sky and watched as the stars began to swim lazily from side to side, “I don’t see anyone else falling over themselves to listen do you?” He raised a hand to scratch at one ear when a light buzzing began to sound and missed, “’Sides, I know how it feels to be with a girl and have her cut out your heart with just a look.” He toasted the moon, “Nothin’ like it.”

Malfoy snatched the bottle back, raised his head to take another pull and thumped his head back with a groan, “That’s not me.” His fingers began to go pleasantly numb as the whisky started to work with a vengeance; “I don’t get that way over girls.”

That struck Connor as highly amusing, “Sure you do.” He laughed and felt the hard ball of tension inside him loosen slightly, “There’s not a man on this planet that doesn’t get like that over women. ‘Cept my Uncle Lorne. But he’s a demon so he probably doesn’t count.” He squinted thoughtfully at the dark sky, “And the ones that like guys. And the ones that have that thing about the goats.” He turned his head and looked at Draco’s startled face, “What’s up with that, do you know?”

“Goats?” Malfoy snuck a sneaky peek at the level of whisky in the bottle and then looked back at Connor, “Goats? Where the hell did you get that from?”

Connor waved a hand through the air and narrowly missed poking himself in the eye, “It’s just something Spike and Xander were talking about.” He rolled onto his side suddenly, “Anyway, so not the point.” He frowned as he tried to remember what the point was. Aha! “The point is that everyone goes a little nuts over a girl sometime. Look at Ron and Hermione.” He sniggered, “What an idiot.”

Unclear as to whether Connor was calling himself or Ron an idiot, Malfoy chose the more appealing option, “Always was. He’s been after getting in Granger’s pants for years but got stuck being her sodding surrogate girlfriend instead.”

Connor snatched the whisky, “I meant you.” Ah, that cleared that up then.

“Oh.” Draco snatched the bottle back after missing on the first go, “I’m not an idiot.” He rolled onto his side, took another hit and sighed, “I’m bad to the bone but I’m not an idiot. I really scared her.” He blinked in astonishment as the last sentence burst from him in a rush and then glared at the whisky, “This stuff is a lot stronger than I thought.”

Connor took a firm grip on the grass under him as the world tilted and nodded, “Oh yeah. So what did you do that scared her?”

“I tried to kiss her.” Draco’s face fell mournfully and he tried to focus on the end of his nose as he realised he could no longer feel it, “I tried to kiss her and she ran away.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.” Connor smiled bracingly and decided not to mention that his entire body had gone numb and he wasn’t sure if he could stand any longer. There were more important things at stake after all. “I kiss Dawn all the time.”

“Yeah, but I bet you don’t hold her down on the floor and threaten her while you do it.” Draco tipped the bottle towards his mouth again and jumped as Connor burst out laughing.

“Have you seen my girlfriend?” Connor gave another whoop of amusement, “If I pulled that crap on her and they’d still be finding my remains a month later.”

“What a very special relationship you must have.” Draco tried to sneer but was alarmed to find his face muscles no longer seemed to be responding, “Does my face look alright to you?”

“Huh?” Connor squinted at Malfoy’s mud smeared face and the blades of grass stuck to his chin like a jaunty green goatee, “Oh yeah, you look fine. What did you go and do a thing like that to Ginny for?”

“I didn’t mean to!” Draco gestured wildly with the whisky bottle and splashed alcohol liberally over himself and Connor, “We got caught by the others and I hid her and then she fell asleep and hit me.” He scowled in remembered outrage, “What’d she do that for? I wasn’t hurting her.” Connor nodded encouragingly and Draco continued, “And then when I chased her and caught her she just smelled so good.” He took a good sniff of the night air as though remembering the moment, “All soapy and clean.”

Connor nodded approvingly, “Ginny’s very clean. And she’s got great teeth.”

“You noticed that too?” Draco took another swig of the whisky and then handed the bottle to Connor, “They really go with her eyes.”

It was a measure of just how drunk Connor was getting that this remark made perfect sense. “And her eyes are really pretty.”

“Oh yeah.” Malfoy scowled suddenly, “Hey, what the hell are you doing looking at her eyes?”

Connor sniggered, “Dawn gets really ticked if I go round looking at other girls’ chests.”

Draco continued to scowl for a moment and then broke down into helpless giggles with Connor, “I’ll bet.” He continued to giggle for a moment and then the laughter faded, “What am I going to do? She’s never going to want me after that.”

Connor cocked his head to one side, desperately relieved that it hit his shoulder and didn’t just fall off. That whisky really was incredibly strong. “You have to show her that’s not you, that you made a mistake.” He eyed Draco’s large frame, “Lets face it, you could have really hurt her if you wanted to but you didn’t, you stopped. Why did you stop?”

“I…I don’t know.” Draco thought back to Ginny stretched taut under him and her white, tearful face, “She said she’d scream.” Self-disgust filled him, “Merlin, all I could think about was how she felt and how she’d taste and she was scared out of her mind.” Bile clawed up his throat, “I’ve never lost control like that in my life.”

“Me neither.” Connor gave a tiny smile, “Except for the first time Dawn was injured in front of me. I didn’t hear her threats or feel her struggles, all I knew was that I had to get my hands on her and make sure she was ok. I nearly ripped off her top and had her half naked over me before she managed to break through to me.” He carefully shook his head, “Not quite the same thing but I know how it feels to lose control with a touch. Makes it worse when you hold yourself tighter than duck’s ass at any other time.”

Malfoy choked at the colourful analogy and then eyed Connor thoughtfully, “Yes. That’s it exactly. I just don’t understand how I lost control like that.”

“Welcome to the wonderful world of love.” Connor took another pull from the whisky and handed it back to Draco.

They lay in silence for a few minutes and then Malfoy pointed at a high turret, “That’s her window. I’ve been out here every night for the last month watching it, just to catch a glimpse of her. What a twat, eh?”

Connor stared up at the window and then looked back at Draco, “That’s also Dawn’s window.”

Draco blinked at the sudden threatening growl and said hastily, “I didn’t mean like that! I mean just watching her when she was walking around or sitting by the window reading.” He hung his head to hide a sudden flush, “I looked away when she started to undress.” He gave a sudden disgusted snort, “She’s turned me into another bloody Potter.”

Connor eyed him for another minute and then suddenly grinned, “Would that be so bad?”

“YES!” All trace of humility was gone as Malfoy lifted his head and looked daggers at Connor’s face, “I’m not out to save the fucking world. All I bloody want is a warm willing body and to keep my rather large fortune, thanks. Look out for number one, mate, that’s my motto.”

Connor’s grin widened, “Yeah, that’s what I figured. The whole time you were fighting alongside us in the hall I could see you were just dying to run off and count your Galleons.”

Draco tipped the whisky bottle back and said bitterly, “Didn’t do any bloody good did it? They still died.”

“Yeah, they still died.” Cold sobriety washed over Connor and he snatched the bottle away for a long pull of his own, “Whatever you do it’s never enough. Dammit.” The bottle suddenly hurtled through the air and Connor sat up and raked his hands through his hair, “It’s never fucking enough.”

“Oi!” Draco watched the bottle disappear into the night and then sat up beside Connor resignedly, “Right bloody pair we make, eh?”

Connor gave a mix of a sob and a laugh, “Oh yeah. Screw-ups R Us.”

They sat in silence for long minutes until Malfoy said uncomfortably, “You saved a lot of lives tonight. You did the best you could.”

“And there’s the kick in the ass.” Connor raised his head and stared blindly at the school, “My best wasn’t good enough.” He tugged at the grass beside him, “When we got back to the dorm tonight we cried.” He gave an embarrassed shrug and glanced at Malloy’s profile, “All of us. We cried for an hour or more but it didn’t help.”

Draco nodded and amazed himself by confiding, “I threw up. That didn’t help either.”

“At least I had people with me. I wouldn’t have wanted to be on my own then.”

Draco shrugged at Connor’s careful words, “It made no difference to me, I’m used to being on my own.”

“You don’t have to be.” Connor kept his eyes on the castle as Draco stared incredulously at him, “There’s no rule to say you have to be on your own.”

“And wouldn’t that be entertaining?” Draco laughed bitterly, “Draco Malfoy joining forces with Harry ‘I’m so wonderful’ Potter and his little band of do-gooders. Thanks but no thanks, I think somehow I prefer my own company.”

“I didn’t mean that.” Connor shook his head and gripped Draco’s arm as he tried to get to his feet, “I mean that there’s nothing stopping you and me being friends. We’re a lot alike.”

“Oh yes?” Malfoy sneered at Connor cynically, “Do tell. Exactly how much do I have in common with a muggle demon killer with a deplorable haircut?”

Connor scowled at the mention of his hair but ploughed doggedly on, “Well for a start, we’re both in love with women we don’t deserve and neither of us are what you call pillars of the community.” He grinned suddenly, “And I actually think I’m hated by just as many people as you are in this school.”

Malfoy couldn’t help reluctant laugh that burst from him, “Oh surely not? I didn’t think that was possible.”

Connor cocked his chin and looked smug, “I do the impossible every day. Believe it.”

  
“What about Potter and Weasley? I can’t see them being too delighted by you becoming chummy with their own personal devil.” Draco jerked his head towards the school, “Just not Quidditch, you know?”

Connor shrugged, “Harry and Ron are my friends but I’m not about to let them tell me who I can or can’t speak to. Besides…” Connor smiled mischievously, “Are you going after Ginny or not? I could come in handy.”

Malfoy blinked in surprise, “You’re actually saying I should pursue her?”

“Well, yeah.” Connor frowned, “You want her don’t you? And she was sticking up for you whenever Harry and Ron started picking on you before tonight.”

“She was?” Malfoy didn’t need a mirror to know that a highly embarrassing sappy grin was spreading across his face, “She stuck up for me?”

“Yep.” Connor nodded and then said seriously, “But if you hurt her again I will have to kill you.”

“Of course.” Draco stared back towards the castle thoughtfully, “I don’t think we should mention our…alliance to Potter and the others just yet. They wouldn’t understand and I believe it would be beneficial to keep our council from the rest of the school.”

“Gotcha.” Connor stretched his hands over his head and was amazed to find that the bitter, burning tension in his chest had disappeared and all that was left was a light head from the whisky and a faint drag of tiredness, “We’d better get back.” He glanced around for his axe and saw it lying beside Malfoy’s abandoned broom back in the middle of the pitch. “Time to see if all that whisky will let us stand.”

It was an effort, but they finally managed to stand upright and then make their unsteady way to their belongings. Draco put his hand over his broom and muttered ‘Up!’ while he braced Connor as he bent for his axe. “Where did you get the whisky anyway?”

Connor fought the urge to collapse on the ground as his head swam and straightened with a muttered curse. He had the feeling if he told Draco he had been given it by the Headmaster for an officially sanctioned booze fest he might lose all the bad-boy points he had gained with his new friend. “Stole it.”

Draco grinned and swung a leg over his broom, “You are a naughty boy. Hop on, muggle, I’ll give you a lift.”

Connor got on behind Malfoy and clutched at him tightly as the broom weaved unsteadily upwards, “Should we be on this when we’re drunk?”

“Probably not.” Malfoy laughed as he squinted to try and bring the castle into focus, “I’ll try not to hit anything.”

Connor grinned and looked down at the ground rushing beneath his dangling feet, “God, this is great. I wish I could fly.”

“Why can’t you?” Malfoy glanced back over his shoulder and cursed as the broom pulled sharply to the left with the motion. He managed to steady them and shouted back, “What’s stopping you?”

“Muggle, remember?” Connor waved at a watching Auror and received a salute in reply, “No magic.”

Draco landed them with a bump on the castle steps and climbed clumsily off the broomstick, “So? That’s not a problem.” They staggered through the castle doors and up into the Entrance Hall, “Meet me by the Quidditch pitch tomorrow night at twelve o’clock and we’ll break a few more rules.”

Connor gripped the banister leading up the stairs to his bed, “Ok. It’s a date.”

Malfoy staggered off in the direction of the Slytherin dungeon clutching his broom, “You wish, Angel, you wish.”

Connor laughed and made his careful way up the stairs oblivious to the blue eyes watching his progress. Professor Albus Dumbledore stepped out of the shadows and clapped his hands together, “Marvellous. Simply marvellous.” He turned and made his way towards his own quarters. Now it could begin.


	15. Chapter Thirteen C

The Hogwarts the students awoke to the next morning was very different from the one they had risen to the day before. For a start they hadn’t been locked in their tower the previous morning and Connor wasn’t looking like his head would fall off every time he moved or Ginny booted their common room door.

“Why…won’t…it…OPEN?” Ginny pounded the sturdy oak door with her fist and then kicked it again for good measure, “It…won’t…even…budge!” She fell back panting with exertion and pushed her hair back from her sweaty face.

Ron and Harry grabbed an armchair and lifted it between them, “Get out of the way, Gin.” Ginny backed hastily away at her brother’s command and watched as the comfortable chair was used as an impromptu battering ram. And then watched as it slammed into the door, shattered into a pile of leather and wood and Ron and Harry crashed cursing to the floor.

Dawn gripped her axe, “Move!” Harry and Ron scrambled for safety as she sprinted forward with an enraged yell and brought her axe squarely down in the centre of the wooden door. Ginny winced as Dawn yelled again, this time in pained surprise, and the axe head bounced off the handle and flew backwards to narrowly miss the miserable looking Connor. Dawn sucked her throbbing fingers and glared at her severely hung over boyfriend, “Your turn.”

Connor raised his throbbing head from where it lay on the back of the sofa, “What do you…” He swallowed and ran his tongue over his dry lips, “What do you want me to do? Can’t you try magic on it again?” He swallowed again and whispered pitifully, “Please?”

“No can do, mate. We’ve tried every charm, hex and spell we know between us. The damn thing just won’t shift.” Ron cocked a mischievous eyebrow, “Maybe you could be sick on it? I know when you tried it with me this morning I got out of your way pretty damn sharpish.” Harry choked back a laugh at Connor’s woeful attempt at a glare and hurriedly straightened his face as he saw Dawn’s much better effort dart from Connor to Ron and then to himself.

To say that Dawn was unimpressed to open her bedroom door that morning and find her boyfriend unconscious on the floor, wearing naught but a sock, tighty-whities and a whisky soaked grin would have been an understatement. After checking that Connor was indeed unconscious and not dead, and that his clothes in fact had been dumped in a meandering trail behind him from the common room and not stolen in a vicious prank, Dawn had proceeded to kick her boyfriend awake with unsympathetic, and malicious, enthusiasm.

The howl of protest from Connor had awakened Ginny and Hermione, who both shot out of bed with their wands drawn thinking they were under attack again, and they were treated to the not unpleasant view of the toned and beautifully muscled backside of Connor Angel rolling around on the floor and then scrambling in self-defence to his unsteady feet. Ginny pushed her hair back from her bruised and scratched face, “Goodness!”

Hermione fighting her own hair back and down to one eye thanks to a lucky punch from a demon the previous night took a few seconds longer to realise there was no danger and then gasped most appreciatively as Connor’s butt bounced from a well-placed kick from Dawn, “Oh my.”

“You bastard!” Dawn couldn’t have cared less if Connor had stripped all his clothes off to give her a spontaneous lap dance complete with baby oil and the sex toys that Buffy and Spike liked to pretend she didn’t know about, “You complete bastard! I thought you were freaking dead!”

Connor trying to dodge Dawn’s wild kicks and clutching his throbbing head, unstuck his swollen tongue from the roof of his mouth and muttered sincerely, “God, I wish I was.” He staggered against the wall and held out a shaking hand, “Honey, please, I’m sorry. I really don’t feel well.”

“Good!” Dawn’s screech brought Ron and Harry skidding out of their dorm room and sprinting to the girl’s door with their wands out and grim expressions on their faces. “I hope you damn well feel like shit!”

Ron reached to support Connor as the smaller boy staggered, “What happened, mate? Has there been another attack?” He sniffed at Connor suddenly and then recoiled sharply, “Bloody hell, you smell like a brewery.”

Hermione still standing inside her room and thus not within range of the truly spectacular odour emanating from Connor felt a blush spread across her face as she realised she was living the secret fantasies of half the adolescent girls at Hogwarts. Ron and Harry hadn’t bothered to grab a robe before rushing out of their rooms and stood in the corridor wearing just the pyjama bottoms they had slept in. The very, very low-slung pyjama bottoms they slept in. Even supporting the wilting Connor between them and fending off the yelling Dawn they looked positively beautiful in the early morning light with their rumpled hair and newly defined torso muscles, thanks to the daily physical training sessions that had become part of their lives since meeting Dawn and Connor.

Hermione’s eyes drifted slowly over Ron’s chest and stomach and felt a sharp ping go off in her stomach as she realised that her old friend was most definitely not a gangly boy any longer. Hermione eyed Harry and, although he was very impressively shaped, privately thought that he was sadly lacking in comparison to the sheer breath taking size and shape of the Head Boy. Then she shook her head lightly, wondering whether she ought to get herself to Madam Pomfrey and get checked out. She’d obviously lost her mind somewhere between fending off hordes of the evil undead the previous evening and waking up that morning. She jumped as Ginny elbowed her sharply in the side, “Wh…what?” Why was everyone silent and looking at her? A deeper blush stained her cheeks, “What is it?”

Ginny gave her an odd look, “I said, haven’t we got something that would help Connor? A pain relief potion or a re-hydration draught?”

Hermione was alarmed to find that her eyes seemed to be glued to Ron’s chest. However much she tried to tear her gaze away, her eyes bounced back to his nipples with the inexorable force of the earth orbiting the sun. “Um…”

Ron frowned and shifted uncomfortably as Hermione trailed off and stared at his chest wide-eyed. He glanced down and winced as he saw his pale skin mottled with cuts and ugly bruises from neck to waist. Not exactly looking like ‘PlayWitch’ material this morning. Completely misinterpreting her glazed look, he pulled the pitiful Connor in front of him to hide from her gaze and said testily, “When you’ve quite finished, Herm, could you and Gin sort something out for Connor so he can at least stand up by himself?” Ron met Harry’s eyes over Connor’s throbbing head, “Showers?”

Leaving Hermione and Dawn glaring after the three of them as they half carried Connor up the corridor, and Ginny stifling her giggles manfully, Ron and Harry guided the moaning Connor into the bathroom. Propping Connor on the side of a bath and leaving Harry to hold him up, Ron reached for the shower attachment and started the water running, “What the bloody hell did you do last night?” He straightened up and glared down at the now distinctly green Connor, “And where the hell did you get booze in this school?”

“I…um…I…” Connor gulped unhappily, “I think I’m gonna be…”

Harry jumped out of the way as Connor fell backwards into the bathtub and vomited in spectacular fashion all over himself, “Merlin…” He swallowed and backed away as he felt his own stomach revolt in sympathy, “He’s not looking good.”

Ron moved hurriedly to the windows and flung them open to admit the cold November air, “And he smells worse. I haven’t seen anything like this since Fred and George spiked Perce’s drinks at their graduation party and he did the Highland fling on the kitchen table.” He shared a reminiscent grin with Harry, “Bloody amazing how he kept going when he slipped and fell on that wand, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Harry chuckled at the memory of the staid, sensible Percy buck-naked on the Weasley table with a joke wand hanging out of his arse, flickering between a droopy chicken and polished mahogany. “And how he kept dodging your mum’s curses I’ll never know.”

“Weasley reflexes, you learn young in that house let me tell you.” Ron edged cautiously back to the whimpering Connor, “You’d think after that lager in the Cauldron he’d have learnt he couldn’t take his booze.” Connor moaned pitifully and Ron smirked as he watched the other boy try and sit up, “Think he’s finished?”

Harry held his hand over his mouth and nose as he moved to the head of the bathtub and reached for the shower faucet, “Unless he’s actually going to try and sick up his stomach, I reckon so.” He shot a sympathetic look at Connor, “Sorry about this. Brace yourself.” With a quick twist of his hand a powerful jet of ice-cold water shot out and hit the unfortunate Connor. Eyes wide with shock and cold Connor jack-knifed into a sitting position and scrabbled pitifully for the edge of the tub.

Ron moved forward and jabbed Connor’s shoulder with a sharp forefinger, sending the American back to the floor of the bath, “You’ll thank us for this later. Stop when he goes blue, Harry.”

Harry nodded and grinned, “Or he drowns. Whatever happens first.”

An hour later, Ron gulped at the look of unabated fury on Dawn’s face. It was apparent that Connor would be wishing his friends had drowned him before the end of the day. Ron shrugged and switched his attention to Hermione, “Herm, any thoughts?” He eyed her flushed face as she jumped as though a Hippogriff had suddenly kicked her and frowned; she was definitely acting oddly today.

Hermione bit her lip and turned hurriedly away from her friends to cross to the window and stare down into the school grounds to give herself some time. She had a lot of thoughts currently making her brain hurt and unfortunately most of them had to with the half-naked Ron she had seen that morning.

She shook her head, what was wrong with her? He was Ron, her friend, her annoying mate with the bad temper and a mean line in sarcastic remarks just guaranteed to have her grinding her teeth and flouncing off at least ten times a day. Ron wasn’t a…a…boy! She clenched her fists tightly, whatever thoughts she was having she was going to stop them right now; she was not, absolutely not, going to develop a crush on Ronald Jonathan Weasley.

With her now restored logical and calculating mind Hermione turned back from the window, unaware that Ron had followed her, and crashed headlong into his arms. “Whoa, steady there, Hermione! You alright?”

Hermione looked up into Ron’s face and her own blanched with horror as her heart crashed against the wall of her chest. She could feel the heat of his fingers through the material of her robes and was hazily aware of the scent of soap and the liniment potion that he’d used on his bruises that morning wafting up her nose. Logic and Calculation waved as they packed their bags for their unexpected vacation and cheerily handed over the keys to Hermione’s mind to Hormonal and Lusty on their way out the door. Hermione swallowed, “Oh damn it.”  
  


Ron righted her with a pat on the head, “S’alright, no harm done.” He pointed at the still locked common room door, “Any thoughts?”

Hermione stared blankly at the door, “It’s locked.” Dawn’s eyes swung from glaring at Connor to join the rest of the room in staring incredulously at Hermione. Hermione flushed, “What?”

“That’s it?” Dawn put her hands on her hips and resisted the urge to stamp her foot and scream. She was still tired from the events of the previous evening, unbelievably pissed at Connor and her temper was not being improved by the knowledge that when Buffy had saved the world at her age the worst she woke up to the next morning was a snit fit from their mom and a de-briefing from Giles. Dawn froze and hurriedly emptied her mind of the sudden explicit images of Giles debriefing anyone and focused frantically back onto the current problem of being locked in her room like a child. “Goddamn it!” She spun and kicked at the door in frustration, “What the hell is going on?”

Hermione edged away from Ron and glanced out the windows again, “There doesn’t seem to be any danger.” She pointed down at the grounds, “There’s a lot of ministry Aurors out there, maybe they did it.”

Dawn stomped over to the window, “Well they can just undo it.” She fumbled with the window catch and snarled furiously when it refused to budge, “FUCK IT!”

“Dawn!” Hermione stared reproachfully at her friend, “I don’t think there’s any need for that. The Ministry obviously think we should stay out of the way and in safety…”

Ginny crossed to Dawn’s side and handed her another axe, “Here, try this.” The younger girl grinned at Dawn’s grunt of thanks and Hermione’s tut of disapproval, “And Herm, after the scene you and Ron caused in the Hall last night, I don’t think you’re in any position to be commenting on someone else’s language.”

“That was completely different.” Hermione flushed with a mix of anger and remembered embarrassment and glared at Ron, “And completely his fault.”

“My fault?” Ron drew himself up to his full height, “I don’t think so, Hermione. I wasn’t the one…”

“Ronald Weasley, don’t even think about trying to weasel out of…WHAT?” Hermione rounded on Harry as he tried to muffle a snort of laughter, “What is so funny?”

Harry backed up a step, “Sorry. I…um…thought you…um…made a joke. Y’know…Weasel/Weasley? Like Malfoy?” He gave her an uneasy grin, “Obviously not. My mistake. Sorry.”

Fortunately Hermione was prevented from exploding by Dawn swinging back from the window in defeat and throwing the axe to slam into the doorframe leading to the stairs, “Ok, that’s it. All those in favour of not being locked in here anymore, come with me.” She took a breath and flung out her hand with a look of fierce concentration on her face, “We’re going to find out what the hell is happening.”

Connor struggled to sit up, “Ah, hun, what are you do…Oh crap. Weapons!” Heroically ignoring the increased pounding in his temples Connor leapt out of his chair as a very familiar green light suddenly appeared in the centre of the room, “Get some weapons!”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Dawn gritted her teeth and concentrated on building a picture of the Great Hall in her mind as she began to create her doorway, “Really, can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

“Are we sure this is a good idea?” Hermione drew her wand and moved hastily to stand behind Dawn, “I’m sure if they needed us downstairs they would have called. We’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”

Harry had a sudden unwelcome vision of the stained training mats upstairs after Dawn’s last attempt to open a safe portal, “Dawn, frankly I think you’ve had better plans.”

“Detention at least.” Hermione’s eyes widened in time with the portal in the middle of the room, “Maybe suspension…”

Ron couldn’t help the grin at the object of his affections even as he backed away from the glowing green door and accepted a sword from Connor, typical Hermione. Always worried about the consequences rather than the actions that preceded them. Dawn shook her hair back and lowered her hand as the door stopped growing and a hole four foot by four foot hung in the air, “Let’s live dangerously.” She made sure her wand was securely in her robe pocket and then sprinted forward to dive through the portal.

Ron shook his head, “That’s all we ever seem to do around you people.” He shrugged, “Oh well, in for a penny…” With a reassuring smile at Ginny he followed Dawn with a loud yell.

Hermione stood and watched as one by one the rest of her house disappeared through the portal and then muttered gloomily, “Probably expulsion.” She gripped her wand and walked to the portal, “Azkaban at the outside.” Gingerly she stuck her foot through, “I hate my life.”

  
  


* * *

“OW!” Spike shook his head irritably as he climbed to his feet and glared at the fluorescent yellow demon hissing at him, “That bloody ‘urt!” He glanced at the shoulder of his duster, “And you ripped my soddin’ coat.”

“Yeah, that’s my biggest worry.” Xander ducked as the demon’s mate spat something unpleasant and green at him, “Your oh-so-cutting-edge-couture’s been damaged.”

“Hey, this coat ‘appens to be practically an antique.” Spike vaulted over the tombstone he’d just crashed inelegantly against and landed lightly on top of a mausoleum, “Don’t see any of your spawn-of-whatever-the-soddin’-hell-shirts making it to the top of the GQ list.”

“I’m an…” Xander dodged nimbly round the back of his opponent and swung the sword he carried into the back of its neck, “…individual.” He shut his mouth hurriedly as a spray of orange blood hit his face.

“Yeah, an individual great prat.” Spike judged his moment and leapt from the top of the mausoleum to land with a nasty crunch on top of his own opponent’s head, “Gotcha!” He rolled gracefully off and jumped up to finish the demon with a quick twist of its head to make sure its neck was well and truly broken, “I win!”

Xander scrubbed the sleeve of his shirt across his newly slimed face, “Eww. And you always win, Fangless.”

“Too right.” Spike cast a look around to make sure Buffy was nowhere to be seen and fished out a pack of smokes from his pocket, “Fag?”

“Asshole!” Xander glared indignantly at his friend and then at the squashed paper packet in his hand, “Oh. Right. And no, not looking to die any quicker than necessary thanks.”

Spike shrugged and lit his own cigarette, “Suit yourself.” He began to make his way through the cemetery at Xander’s side, “Although living on top of a Hellmouth and raisin’ a half-demon sprog ‘ere doesn’t seem the best way to ‘ave a long and happy life, Chubs.” He elbowed Xander companionably in the ribs, “And you’ve ‘ad some truly ‘orrible ideas over the years.”

“The least of which was deciding not to stake you when I had the chance.” Xander whapped Spike upside the head, “And keep your anemic English elbows out of my ribs.”

“Just sayin’ like.” Spike grinned at his friend, “How is the little missus anyway? Still keepin’ you on your toes?”

Xander booted a discarded skull out of his path and scowled around himself to make doubly sure that they hadn’t missed any demonic grave-robbers on their nightly patrol, “Oh yeah. She decided at four o’clock this morning that she couldn’t possibly face getting up without a bowl of dried chicken gizzards and so I got packed off to the Magic Box to raid the stash that Giles thinks she hasn’t found yet. And then she waited till I got back to tell me that she really needed a bottle of hot sauce to wash them down and she finished off the last of it the day before with the fruity ice-cream.”

Xander jumped quickly round the corner of another mausoleum in case there were demons waiting to pounce and then shrugged at Spike when the demon rolled his eyes at his antics, “Hey, you never know.” He sighed, “I love Anya, but if I hear one more sentence start with the words, ‘Xander, the baby you created and placed inside me requires…’ I’m gonna think about doing a demonic C-section, y’know?”

Spike brightened up, “Really? I’ve always wanted a go at one of them. Make sure you give us a bell, like.”

“You are truly scary sometimes, do you know that?” Xander shook his head and balanced his axe over his shoulder, “Wanna stop by Willy’s for a beer before we go to Giles’?”

Spike puffed out his chest at Xander’s words, “Scary? Me? You’re just sayin’ that.”

“Seriously, there’s nothing else in town that makes me go ick as much as you do.” Xander gave the delighted vampire a wry smile and shook his head in amusement at the happy grin on the pale face.

Spike clapped the human on the shoulder, “You’re a real pal, Xan. Drinks are on me.” He turned his head at the sound of pounding feet, body tensing in anticipation of attack and then relaxed when Willow came hurtling through the cemetery gates, “Looks like we’re taking a rain-check on that beer, Chubs.”

Xander narrowed his eyes as he watched his best friend sprint towards them, “Crap. We’re not due a rising or anything are we?” He opened his arms and swiftly stepped to the side to intercept Willow as her momentum threatened to propel her past them and head first into the mausoleum behind them, “Whoa there, witch-gal.”

Willow clutched at Xander and gasped for breath, “Sp…Spi…Dawn…” Her chest heaved as she sucked in oxygen and both men tensed with sudden misgiving at the mention of the youngest Scoob’s name. “Dawn…letter…big fight…Buffy…”

Fortunately Spike spoke fluent panicked Willow, “Something’s happened to Dawn?” Willow gulped more air and nodded frantically, “Is the Slayer at ‘ome?” Willow’s knees gave out and she squeaked as Xander clutched her more tightly against him and Spike spun in a whirl of leather and furious fear, “I’ll meet you there!”

Xander watched the vampire speed away from them and shouted after him, “Right behind you!” Another thought occurred to him, “And pop a breath mint! Buff’ll smell the cigs a mile away!” Spike lifted a hand in acknowledgement and disappeared from sight. Xander looked down at Willow’s brick-red face, “You ok?”

“Sure…” Willow waved a hand and tried to stand by herself, “It’ll take more than…a mile of dead out run to…finish me…”

Xander grinned, “I think it was more like a mile and a half, Wills.”

Willow nodded thoughtfully, “That…explains the...flashes of light…behind my eyes…and the urge…to be sick, then.” Her knees gave out again, “I may need… a minute.”

Xander redoubled his grip, “Gotcha.”

  
  


* * *

“Once I can understand. Twice, could happen to anyone, but three bloody times?” Ron pulled himself out of the lake and glared at the equally wet Dawn, “Can’t we just walk up to the hall from here?”

Dawn wrung out her hair and slapped a piece of duckweed of her shoulder, “No!” She glanced over Ron’s shoulder and rolled her eyes, “Oh crap, here they come again. Get ready…”

Connor gripped Ginny’s wrist and hauled her onto the bank of the lake as a group of Aurors hurtled towards them with wands drawn, “Make it good, sweetie.”

Dawn nodded and flung out her hand to open another portal, “Go!” Ron grabbed Hermione’s hand and they both jumped through the portal, closely followed by Harry and Ginny and then lastly Dawn and Connor. The first Aurors reached the spot as the green hole disappeared with a loud pop and were left staring at empty air.

“Where the devil have they gone this time?” The first Auror, a tall black man with a fierce scowl and impressively high Afro, fisted his hands on his hips and glared around him, “I thought Dumbledore said only teachers could apparate on the grounds since he altered the charm.”

One of his companions, a short, tubby man with a goatee he mistakenly believed gave him an air of rakish charm, scratched his head with the tip of his wand, “I don’t think they’re dangerous.” He looked dubiously at the now still waters of the lake and stepped back as the giant squid waved a languid tentacle, “Surely no one would apparate in the middle of the lake three times in a row on purpose. Maybe they’re lost.”

“Well we’d better find them damn quick.” The leader sighed heavily, “Ok, team one stay here in case they drop in again. Team two, with me.”

The tubby man watched team two move off and shivered in the cold November air, “Students. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t transfigure them into slop buckets.”

  
  


* * *

Dawn pushed herself up onto her knees and looked around her, “Are we there yet?”

Ron growled at her as he stared around him at nastily familiar surroundings, “No.” He climbed to his wet feet and pulled Hermione up beside him, “We’re somewhere worse.”

Harry rolled to his feet and groaned, “Oh bugger.”

“Would you mind explaining exactly just what you think you’re doing in my common room?” Draco Malfoy lowered his wand and gestured impatiently to the rest of the Slytherins grouped behind him to do the same, “I’m assuming there’s another dire emergency and people are being slaughtered as we speak?”

“You’d think wouldn’t you?” Connor pushed himself to his feet and glared at his girlfriend, “This isn’t the Great Hall.”

“Really? What tipped you off?” Dawn whipped out her wand and pointed it at Millicent Bulstrode as the much bigger girl moved towards her, “Don’t even think about it, Bulldog.”

Hermione eyed the Slytherins uneasily, “That’s Bulstrode, Dawn.”

“Uh-huh, whatever.” Dawn lowered her wand, “Don’t mind us, we’ll be out of here in just a minute. I think I took a wrong turn at the Whomping Willow.” She smiled at Ginny as the red head touched her wand to Dawn’s robes and whispered a drying charm, “Thanks, Gin.”

Ginny smiled back, “No problem.”

“No, your problem seems to be that you’ve not only broken into a fellow house’s common room, again, but that you’ve also used illegal apparating magics to do it.” Draco watched Ginny’s face blush bright red at the mention of her previous evening’s activities and ignored the puzzled and guilty looks that passed between Harry, Ron and Hermione.

“I thought he never worked that out.” Ron hissed out the corner of his mouth and tried to look as though he’d never heard of Polyjuice potion, much less used it.

“Well I didn’t tell him!” Harry shifted uneasily, “He must have asked Crabbe and Goyle why they rushed out so quickly that night.”

“Or he’s done the same thing to us!” Hermione bit her lip, “What if he’s done the same thing to us?” Three pairs of eyes fixed suspiciously on Malfoy who looked confused then just ignored the Trio and refocused on Dawn.

“Perhaps you might explain just what the hell is going on?” Draco folded his arms across his chest and sneered down his nose at the battered looking appearances of Connor and his friends. Bruises and cuts still livid across nearly every piece of their exposed skin, they were now looking even rattier thanks to their three dunkings in the lake and the rather embarrassing landing in the middle of the Whomping Willow that led to an undignified scramble for the safety of the floor and the near removal of Ron’s head thanks to a particularly determined branch. “I’m assuming it can only be a matter of great importance that would lead you to make such an impolite, and illegal, entrance?”

“Hey, British guy, pull your wand out your ass and cut the Giles speak will ya?” Dawn stretched out her hand again and grinned as Slytherins scattered right and left, “I told you, we’ll be gone in a minute.”

Ginny choked back a giggle at the indescribable look on Malfoy’s face and swung her hair forward to hide her grin as she completed her drying charm on Connor. Connor carefully nodded his thanks and said to his erstwhile drinking buddy, “We were locked in our house this morning.” He glanced ruefully around him, “And now we’re locked in yours.”

Draco sent one last poisonous look at Dawn and walked to Connor’s side, “I see. And how exactly did you manage to get out? We’ve been trying for the last two hours.”

Connor pointed at Dawn as the now familiar green hole appeared in mid-air, “Dawn got pissed, the rest is history.” He kept a wary eye on the rest of Slytherin house as they began to mutter angrily amongst themselves, “We can’t seem to get near the Great Hall though. We’ve managed the grounds, the Ravenclaw bathrooms and what we think was about a hundred feet above the North tower but we were falling kinda fast and we didn’t really have time to do anything but scream and yell at Dawn to open up another portal before she did and we ended up back in the lake. Again.” He leaned back wearily against the wall and muttered, “So, I feel like crap, how about you?”

Draco gave him a bewildered look at the abrupt change in subject and then peered closer at the pale skin on his new buddy, “You look like dragon shit. Didn’t you get Granger to mix you up a potion this morning?” He brushed at his immaculate robes smugly, “I feel fine.”

Connor manfully resisted the urge to use his sword on his new friend and instead settled for staring morosely at the floor, “Of course Hermione made me something, it just stopped me being sick though, I still feel like crap.”

Draco cast a quick look around and made sure that most of the room’s attention was diverted and then bent his knees to look quickly into Connor’s eyes. His mouth widened in a quick smile and he shook his head, “Morgan-le-Fey save me from do-gooders.” He moved to stand in front of Connor and whipped out his wand, “I’m betting that she made a potion to strip the alcohol from your body, no wonder you feel like death. Hold still.” Before Connor could evade him he tapped his wand on the other boy’s shoulder and muttered something under his breath, Connor’s eyes widened as the lethargy and stiff pain left his body and his blood began to flow normally through his veins again.

“What did you do?” Connor moved his head experimentally, profoundly grateful when it didn’t so much at hint at falling off.

Malfoy eased back to the side and leaned against the wall casually, “Granger took all the alcohol from your body, even the small amount of alcohol that is produced naturally. I just put it back.”

“With magic.” Connor’s voice was heavy with misgiving and suspicion as he raised his hand to stare at it with properly focused eyes.

“Well of course with magic, what did you expect, a nice cup of tea and a foot rub?” Draco gave Connor a cold smile, “Just because you find yourself carrying the handicap of being an inferior being doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t make use of our natural talents. And you did take Granger’s potion.”

“It was medicine.” Connor frowned in annoyance, “And who are you calling inferior?”

“Connor!” Both boys looked round at Dawn’s shout, “We’re out of here.”

Connor nodded and pushed away from the wall as the rest of his house gathered in front of the green portal, “Right there, sweetie.” He glanced back at Malfoy and lowered his voice, “We still on for tonight?”

Draco eyed the dimensional doorway and then looked back at Connor, “Certainly.” He watched as the smaller boy walked away from him and then just as Connor put out a foot to follow his friends through the doorway, pushed away from the wall and took him in a flying tackle round the waist, “But why wait?” The Slytherins screamed as their head prefect disappeared from sight, but before they could go after him, the light snapped out of existence and the common room was restored to its usual dank self.

  
  
  
  


* * *

The atmosphere at Revello Drive was as tense as Willow could ever remember it. Buffy paced back and forth before the fireplace, clutching the roll of parchment that had been delivered that night by a huge, grey owl and occasionally punched the wall in fear and frustration. Thanks to Buffy realising that if she didn’t relax the new house rule on smoking, her mate was likely to combust with pent-up energy and directionless aggression, Spike was chain-smoking heavily and staring from under half-lidded eyes at his love as she paced. Anya and Xander sat together on the couch holding hands and white with unease at the news the parchment had delivered and darting worried looks at Giles as he spoke briskly into the phone.

“Yes…yes…I understand that, but…well, yes, but….now look here, I don’t see why…You are aware of the importance of this girl and boy? They could very… yes, yes, I see…Quite so…yes…Look you sodding bastard…” Giles’s face flooded with angry colour as whoever was on the other end of the line hung up on him, “Why you…”

Buffy stopped pacing as calm and reasonable mental-Giles moved hurriedly aside and let mental-Ripper have control of their body long enough to rip the phone jack from the wall and then toss the entire piece of equipment through the fortunately open window. She exchanged worried looks with Spike and said, “What did they say? Have they got any more news on Dawn and Connor?”

Giles kicked the sofa, “No. And they’re refusing to contact the Ministry of Magic for any information. The most they would tell me was that incidents of violence and mayhem have broken out all over Britain and Ireland and there have been several reports of magical deaths in the last twenty-four hours.” He kicked the sofa again, “Our orders are to remain on the Hellmouth and monitor the situation here as reports are starting to come in from council operatives around the world that the mayhem isn’t just localised to Britain.” He pointed an angry finger at Buffy, “The next time any of those stuff-shirts from the council show up here I want you to attack and not stop until they’re a little smear on the floor.”

Willow’s eyebrows went up in shock, “Giles! They’re human, you can’t do that.” She flinched as the frazzled Watcher rounded on her.

“She’s my bloody Slayer and if I tell her to hit something then she bloody well does it!” Giles snatched his glasses of the end of his nose and began to polish the lenses so hard the left one popped right out of the frame and shattered on the wooden floor. “Sod it!”

Anya wriggled forward until she was perched on the edge of the sofa and reached over her bump to grab her purse from the floor. She rummaged for a moment in the bag and then withdrew her cell phone. Snapping open the phone she tapped the keys and held the phone to her ear, “Information? I’d like the number for Sunnydale airport please.” She jerked her head at Willow, “You could be using these few moments to contact Angel and find out how many of his people are coming with us.” Ignoring the stunned looks around her, Anya returned her attention to the phone by her ear, “Pardon? Yes, if you could text the number to the phone that would be wonderful. Congratulations on your most efficient service.” The phone snapped closed and Anya looked around herself at the silent room, “I suggest you all begin to think about what you wish to bring with you. Giles, have the airlines relaxed their rules on travelling with lethal weapons if you have no license? Willow, will you get on the phone to Los Angeles, I need to know how many tickets I’m booking. Spike, look into getting boxes for you and Angel.” Anya pushed herself to her feet and clapped her hands together, “Come on, people, none of us are getting any younger…”

Xander jumped to his own feet, “Anya, we aren’t going to England.” He paused and looked at Giles and then Buffy, “Are we?”

“Xander, go and find me some chicken gizzards.” Anya gave an exasperated snort as the room failed to leap into motion around her, “Look, as entertaining as spending the few hours arguing amongst ourselves about whether or not to disobey those stuffy watchers would be, we all know we’re on the first flight to England.” Anya’s hands perched on her pudgy hips and she glared angrily at the room, “So for once can we just make a decision without the drama and excitement you people seem to find so essential and get a damn move on?”

A slow grin spread across Spike’s face, “Yes ma’am, demon-girl.” He crossed the room to plant a hearty kiss on her forehead and clicked his fingers at his mate, “You heard the woman, let’s move people!”

“I really don’t…That is to say….” Giles chewed at the arm of his glasses, “Do we think this is wise? If we leave the Hellmouth unprotected…”

“Screw the Hellmouth.” Buffy crushed the piece of parchment in her hand and just managed to stop herself from stamping her foot, “I’ve given that thing too much of my life already, it doesn’t get to have Dawn too. Wills, get on the phone to LA and find out if they know what’s going on.” She looked at Anya, “Thank you.”

The demon shrugged, “No problem.”

Buffy bit her lip and looked uncomfortable, “But you can’t come with us. If anything happened to the baby…”

Anya’s narrowed, “If you want to wake up tomorrow the same shape you went to sleep, don’t finish that sentence. It’s perfectly fine for the baby to fly and I’m coming.”

“Anya…” Xander stopped short as his wife whipped round and shook a finger under his nose, “Never mind.”

“If you think for one minute I’m staying here like a good little mindless housewife, you guys have another think coming.” Anya glared over her shoulder at Buffy, “I’ve had just a big a hand in raising that girl as you have and she belongs to me just as much as any of you. I’m going.”

“I, uh, I don’t think Dawn actually belongs to any of us, so to speak.” Willow snatched up her own cell as Anya rounded on her, “And I’m ringing…”

“Po-faced British guy.” Anya poked Giles sharply between the shoulder blades; “You’d better look out any contacts you have that might actually be of some use when we land. Xander, I’m still waiting on those chicken gizzards.”

Buffy tried again, “Anya, I appreciate this, I really do…”

“You know that boils-on-the-penis thing?” Anya buffed her nails casually on her shirt and eyed Buffy meaningfully, “That spell can be adapted.” Her gaze flickered down to Buffy’s crotch and back up again, “Very, very easily.”

There was a split second of silence and then Buffy turned to Giles, “The Council will pick up the bill for super-sizing the airline seats, right? We can’t expect Anya to fly coach.”

Giles tore his horrified face from Anya’s direction and twitched as she coughed and nodded towards his own groin, “Oh, absolutely. No trouble at all. We’ll slip the extra expenditure in under wear and tear on weapons or something.” He moved smoothly to place Spike in between himself and the demon and clapped his hands together, “Right then, I suggest we get cracking.”

Anya rolled her eyes, “Isn’t that what I just said?” The whole room fell silent as Willow suddenly raised her voice.

“Angel, I know, I get it, really I do…” The witch swallowed audibly as a furious voice sounded through the phone, “That’s nice, honey, and I’m sure Connor will appreciate it, but…” Willow’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline, “No! No, you absolutely cannot do that! Well maybe if you stopped throwing things at it, it would let you catch it!”

Spike whistled as his sensitive hearing caught what Angel was screaming down the phone and he moved to take the phone from the scarlet Willow, “S’alright, Red, I’ll take it from here. I’m not sure you’re old enough to be hearin’ that kind of language, like.” He put the phone to his ear and his mouth dropped open, “I’m not sure I’m old enough to be hearin’ that kind of language!”

Spike’s face flooded with alarm as he listened to Angel at the other end of the phone then he bellowed furiously, “Peaches, you bloody great wanker, stop firing soddin’ arrows at the bloody thing and try something else!” There was a pause of a few seconds and then Spike winced and said wearily, “I didn’t mean an axe, you pillock.” The vampire put a hand over the phone and turned to Giles, “D’you reckon that bloke in the dress is really attached to ‘is owls, like, or d’you reckon he might not notice if one got lost in the line of duty so to speak?” Giles’ glare said it all. Spike took his hand away from the phone and muttered uneasily, “You got any resurrection spells, mate?” He glanced again at Giles and continued, “And see if one of your humans is any good with a needle and thread.”


	16. Chapter Fourteen

“Mr Potter, sir!” Harry looked up from where he was sprawled on a cold, stone floor and yelped at the wizened face thrust into his. The face gave its own little scream of surprise and then moved closer, “Mr Harry Potter? It’s I, sir, Dobby!”

“Dobby?” Harry pushed himself up onto his elbows and stared around him at the welcome familiarity of the room he now found himself in. His face cracked in a grin, “Result!

Dawn rolled to her feet, “Did we make it?”

Ron grinned at Dobby as the house-elf waved to him and climbed to his feet, “Near as damn it. Nice one, Dawn.”

Dawn looked around her at the huge room and the tiny beings that peered nervously at her from all around, “Er…hi.” She blinked at the panicked withdrawal of heads and bodies and then looked at Ginny, “Where are we?”

Ginny shoved her hair back from her face, “Kitchens. Right under the Great Hall, you’re getting better.”

“I don’t think she could get any worse.” Hermione sagged onto a wooden chair and clutched her stomach, “Does anyone else feel at all sick?”

“Me.” Draco Malfoy let go of Connor and stood up to straighten his robes, “What the bloody hell was that?”

“Eeee!” Dobby glanced up from where he was trying to smooth Harry’s hair flat and scrambled behind Harry’s legs, “It’s Master’s child. Eeee!”

Ron stared at Malfoy incredulously, “What the bleeding hell are you doing here?” He looked at the equally surprised Dawn, “Who invited him?”

Malfoy sniffed, “Don’t get your faded, sagging underwear in a twist, Weasel. I assure you I have no more wish to crash your little party than you do to have me here, but you and your little band of unfortunates seemed to be my best bet for getting the hell out of my house and finding out what the hell was going on.” He flashed a smug grin, “I hitched a lift, as it were.” The grin faded and he glared imperiously at the still wailing Dobby, “Will you stop that hideous noise? I really have no idea what you are whimpering about.”

Ginny moved to scoop Dobby up into her arms, “Piss off, Malfoy, he’s frightened.” She glared menacingly at the Slytherin, “You stay away from him.”

“Willingly.” Draco peered at the screaming creature in the object of his affection’s arms and understanding dawned, “Oh, it’s you. Dippy, isn’t it?”

Harry moved in front of Ginny and the elf and blocked them from Malfoy’s sight, “Dobby. And you can’t have him.”

“Thank the stars for that.” Draco eyed Harry disparagingly, “Must you make it your business to protect every snivelling weakling that crosses your path, Potter? Hey, elf, stop that noise at once, do you hear?” Draco drew himself up to his full height and seriously annoyed Harry when he peered directly over the dark-haired boy’s head, “I’m not here for you, you disgusting little bag of snot.” Amused silver eyes glanced at Harry’s face, “I mean the elf, obviously.”

Connor choked back a snigger at the thunderous look on Harry’s face at the casual insult and then he jumped to his feet, “Malfoy, back away from the… the…” The psuedo-threat lost impetuous slightly as Connor completely forgot what the creature in Ginny’s arms actually was, “The…um…thing.”

“Dobby. He’s a house-elf.” Hermione got off her chair and poked Malfoy sharply in the chest, “And his family kept him as a slave for years.” She poked Malfoy again, “They were cruel and inhuman and Dobby’s terrified of them. You stay away from him you…you…pig.”

Looking highly annoyed, Draco grabbed Hermione’s finger before it could make contact again and said scathingly, “Granger, get your buck-toothed, brush-headed person away from me before I forget I’m a prefect and hex you into next week. I don’t want the scabby little sod and I’m certainly not going to do anything to it. Now, piss off!”

“Get off her, you…” Ron snatched Hermione away from Malfoy and shoved the blond back a step, “Don’t you ever speak to her like that again!”

Dawn grabbed Ron’s arm as it came up and Connor yanked Malfoy back to his side. “Stop it! Stop it, right now!” Dawn slapped Ron’s arm and glared between the two boys, “We’ve got bigger problems at the moment in case you’ve forgotten.” She looked around her at the stricken house-elves, “I’m sorry, that was unbelievably rude of them.”

A house-elf by the huge cooking range shook its withered little head, “Oh no, Miss, they is welcome to whatevers they wants to do here.” It grabbed a large frying pan from a hook over its head and offered it to Ron, “Does Master want a weapon?”

Another elf ran forward and plucked cringingly at Malfoy’s robes, “Does young Master wants me to takes his place?” It lowered its head, showing a large expanse of rough scalp, “I is good at being beaten, sir.”

Malfoy nodded curtly at the elf, “Certainly. Front and centre, if you please.” He smirked at Ron and gestured to the elf, “Whenever you’re ready, Weasley.”

“Why you…” Ron snatched the frying pan from the elf by the range and moved only to shout with anger as Ginny passed Dobby to Hermione and darted forward to grab the pan from her brother’s hand and swing it in a double-handed grip straight at Malfoy’s unprotected belly.

“I’ll take that, Ron.” Ginny watched as Malfoy folded with a very undignified honking sound and then raised the pan over her head, “May as well finish the job…”

“Or, we can not hit a guy when he’s down.” Connor snagged Ginny around the waist and pulled her backwards, thus saving Malfoy from a nasty concussion. He relieved Ginny of her pan and tutted reprovingly at her, “We’re the good guys, remember? Code of honour and all that.”

Ginny pushed out of Connor’s arms and said angrily, “If he can even spell the word ‘honour’ I’ll eat the Sorting Hat.”

Malfoy straightened up, still clutching his belly and with pained tears streaming down his face spluttered, “H-O-N-O…”

Dawn smothered a smile at Ginny’s glare at the prefect and interrupted Malfoy’s recitation, “Ok, well now we’ve finished bitching amongst ourselves can we work on a way to get out of here?” She turned to the elf that was still crouching before the cooking range, “Can you get upstairs, or are you locked in?”

“Oh no, missus. We is been taking food and whatevers the masters wishes upstairs all morning.” The elf bobbed up and down like an eager little yo-yo, “They is very busy and does not wish to be bothered by having to come down to the kitchens.”

Dawn clapped her hands together, “All I needed to know. Blondie, you ok, or are you staying here?”

Malfoy let go of his belly and managed to say in an approximation of his normal voice, “I’m perfectly all right, thank you.”

“Ok.” Dawn gestured to Harry and Ron to lead the way and continued flatly, “Since you’ve invited yourself along on this little escapade, you’ll follow our lead, is that clear? We don’t have time for private agendas.”

Malfoy sniffed disdainfully, “Of course.” He adjusted his robes and said dryly, “I didn’t expect anything else in the presence of the great Potter and his intrepid little band.”

Connor choked as Dawn scowled at Draco and then stalked out of the kitchens with Ginny and Hermione. He grinned up at the tall blond as they followed the others from the room and said in a low voice, “You really do suck at making friends.”

“It’s a gift.” Malfoy flashed a tight smile at Connor, “And my curse.”

“What are you, Spiderman?” Connor’s grin widened but this time in self-congratulation at the confused look on his new friend’s face, “Cool! It’s normally me going ‘huh’?” He clapped a friendly hand on Malfoy’s arm, “It’s a muggle thing, don’t worry about it.”

Malfoy looked down his long nose, “I can assure you I won’t be.” He peered up the stone staircase where Ginny was just disappearing round a bend, “She’s in a lovely mood this morning.”

Connor snorted, “Just be thankful she didn’t take a leaf out of Dawn’s book.” He rubbed reflectively at his backside, “A little ray of sunshine she was not.”

  
  


* * *

They made it to the Great Hall after dodging yet more patrols of Aurors in the corridors to find the huge room was filled wall to wall with silent, bloodstained people and it took the seven teenagers a few seconds to realise that there had been a marked increase in the numbers being given medical aid during the night. Dawn stared at a bedraggled and muddy elderly wizard and then exchanged puzzled looks with Ron, “What the…?” She dodged out of the way as Madam Pomfrey bustled past, bearing a tray with a bowl of murky water and filthy bandages, “Did we sleep through another attack?”

Ginny clutched Harry’s arm and pointed at a man moaning on a bed, “Harry, look, it’s Zonko!”

Harry followed Ginny’s pointing finger and then jerked as he recognised the barmaid from the Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmeade, “Oh hell, these are the Hogsmeade villagers.”

“Mr Potter, oh, Mr Potter…” A witch in her middle twenties clutched Harry’s other arm, tears streaming down her face, “They took my Nicky, sir. Took her and killed my husband. What are they going to do?” Harry shot Ron and Dawn a panicked look as the woman sank sobbing to her knees, “Please, she’s just three, sir, please help her…”

Harry stepped back as the woman grabbed at the hem of his robes and began to press her lips against the soft material, “I’m sorry. Please, calm down…” He tried to twist away as Ginny put her arms around the hysterical woman and stared with dry eyes at the watching hall, “I’m sorry, so sorry…”

Ron clamped a hand on Harry’s shoulder and pointed his wand at the woman on the floor, “Dormio.” He nodded in cold satisfaction as the woman fell into a deep sleep and tucked his wand away, “Herm, Gin, get her to a bed. It’s better if she’s out of it. You alright, Harry?”

Harry nodded, “Yeah, its just…y’know…”

“Yeah, the marvellous Harry Potter.” There was no bitterness or mockery in Ron’s voice just understanding and pity at his friend’s pain. He looked around the hall, “Any suggestions?”

Harry’s eyes narrowed, “One for a start. You!” He gestured at an Auror standing just inside the door to the hall, “What’s going on? Why are the older students locked in their towers?”

The Auror flinched at being spoken to by the famous boy-who-lived and muttered, “We…we thought it was best with the casualties from the village being brought here.”

Ron and Harry exchanged grim glances before Harry took out his wand, “Oh you did, did you?” He glanced around the hall again and saw the exhausted and pinched faces of the professors and those adults that were able moving amongst the wounded, tending where they could, “Ron, I’m going to try and find Dumbledore. You alright for a minute?”

Ron nodded and swallowed bile as he caught sight of a new line of bodies behind the hall doors, “Yeah. I’ll try and get a grave detail organised.” He glanced at Dawn, “How soon before they rise?”

Dawn tore her eyes away from the disaster scene before her and met Ron’s eyes with a reassuring shake of her head, “Not an issue. They won’t rise while the sun’s up.” She peered around Ron’s shoulder at the bodies, “Do you think the vamps did it?”

“Dunno.” Ron shrugged and braced himself to start checking the bodies, “Only one way to find out. C’mon.”

“Mr Weasley!” Ron, Dawn and Connor turned at the sound of Ron’s voice being called, “Mr Weasley, I’m so relieved to see you unharmed.” Cornelius Fudge bustled towards them from the front of the hall.

“Oh bloody hell.” Ron rolled his eyes and nudged Dawn behind him, “Stay still and keep quiet, I’ll deal with this. Minister Fudge, good to see you!” He raised his voice and held out his hand, “I just knew you and the Ministry would be here the minute the danger had passed.”

Hermione choked at the thinly veiled insult, “Oh, Merlin. Ron…”

Ron winked at his best friend and dragged her forward, “I was just telling the Minister how glad we were that he came here to us, Herm. Aren’t you glad?”

“Miss Granger.” The Minister’s smile dimmed slightly as he looked at the reason for Ron and Harry’s increased infamy over the past few months, “I’m glad to see you well. No ill affects from the summer, one hopes?”

Hermione, normally polite to a fault, nodded shortly and then turned her back on the Minister. “One does. Ron, I should go and see if we can help with the nursing duties unless there’s anything else we should be doing?”

Ron shook his head, “No, that sounds like a good plan, Gin go with her. Connor, Dawn, can you check the bodies so we know if there’s anything else we should be worried about?” The four nodded and moved swiftly to carry out his instructions as Ron turned to Draco, “Can you find someone and see about getting the older students out of their houses and get them organised into some kind of workforce?”

Malfoy eyed the Minister with amusement as he noticed the heir to the largest wizarding fortune in the land for the first time and paled dramatically, “Certainly. Fourth years and above?”

Ron glanced around him at the devastated people, “Better make it fifth and above. Send any seventh years with basic medical charms to the hospital wing.”

“Understood.” Malfoy gave a polite bow to Mr Fudge, “Minister…”

“I must protest!” The two boys focused on the small rotund Minister that anxiously spun his ever-present bowler hat between his pudgy little hands, “The students have been confined to their common rooms for a reason, Mr Malfoy, and it is not within your power to…”

Ron raised a hand to silence the older man, and, much to his amazement, it worked, “But it is within mine.” He glanced around the hall, “I can’t see Professor Dumbledore anywhere, and whilst the other teachers and staff are busy with other duties then the students become my responsibility as Head Boy.” Ron drew himself up to his full height and smiled coldly down at the much smaller man, “I’m asking Draco to call the houses because I fail to see why they should be cooped up in their dormitories when they could be being useful here with the wounded.” One big, brawny hand clamped down on the Minister’s shoulder, “I’ll take complete responsibility for them, Minister.” He jerked his head at Malfoy, “Go find someone to lift that charm.”

“Mr Weasley…” The Minister was going puce with rage at the casual disregard of his orders but Ron was in no mood to cater to the nervous little man’s hysterics that morning.

“Connor, Dawn!” Ron pointedly turned his back on the old man and called across to his friends hastily checking the bodies, “Anything?” Connor glanced up and shook his head; Ron breathed a small sigh of relief at the small mercy and then turned back to Mr Fudge, “Do you know where Professor Dumbledore might be found, sir? I think I need to speak to him quite urgently.”

“Young man, I am not prepared to be disregarded and questioned by a schoolboy when I am in the middle of one of the greatest emergencies since You-Know-Who was in power.” The Minister slammed his bowler hat back onto his head, “Now either you remove yourself and your friends from my sight immediately or I will be forced to order the Aurors to escort you back to your house.”

Ron cocked an eyebrow, “Look, you pompous bag of wind, if you think for one minute…”

“Weasley.” Ron spun around as the low voice of Severus Snape sounded behind him. The potions master eyed the tall red head with distaste for a moment before continuing, “The headmaster had just ordered me to summon you from your house, but I see, as usual, you have found a way ‘round your situation and pre-empt the order.”

“Professor Snape, I was just…” Ron gestured to Mr Fudge.

“Yes, I can see what you were ‘just’, Mr Weasley.” The grim teacher stepped to the side and jerked his hand to indicate the packed hall, “Perhaps I could be allowed to speak with the Minister whilst you co-ordinate with Madam Pomfey to send the students where they are most needed?” Black eyes flickered when Malfoy came hurrying back through the hall doors, “I believe Mr Malfoy might assist you.” Ron looked like he might protest for another minute but Snape jerked his head sharply, “Now, Weasley, now!” Ron nodded and pushed past the potions master; barely pausing as the teacher hissed quietly, “Keep Angel and Summers out of the way. Their identities must not be revealed.”

Ron’s eyes widened and he nodded briefly in acknowledgement of the order before striding quickly across to Dawn and Connor and waving for Malfoy to join them. Snape watched them for a minute before turning to the Minister with a sigh, “I really must apologise for Weasley’s behaviour, Minister. I’m afraid this is what comes of allowing him, along with Potter, virtual free rein within the school walls.”

Mr Fudge snatched his bowler hat off his head, “This is simply intolerable. I have been insulted and ignored in front of my own men, my own people, and I will not allow…” Snape folded his arms and allowed his eyes to glaze over as he listened to the tubby little man vent his spleen all over the marked and bloodstained floor of the Great Hall. He sighed deeply; Dumbledore owed him big for this.

  
  


* * *

Ron, Dawn, Connor and Malfoy huddled together in a small group and watched the Minister for Magic wave his arms around and yell at the wooden figure of Professor Snape. Connor slipped an arm around Dawn’s waist, profoundly grateful that she appeared for the moment to forget about the serious snit she was in with him, and leaned back against the wall, “Who’s the short guy?”

Ron sneered derisively, “Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic.”

Dawn raised her eyebrows, “I’m guessing not a popular guy?”

Ron shook his head, “Not ‘round here.” He glanced uneasily at Malfoy; “He spends an awful lot of time pandering to wizards with a few bits of gold in the bank and not enough time concentrating on what can be done to stop things like this happening. He’s not Harry’s biggest fan since the business with the Triwizard Tournament and Harry getting snatched, thinks he’s touched or something. Shut it, Malfoy.”

Draco flashed an unrepentant grin and obediently closed his mouth. Connor smirked and then looked back at Ron, “So what’s the big deal?” He jerked his head at the hall, “I think we can safely assume that Harry’s in his right mind after all this. Surely this Minister will start getting things in order now?”

Ron shook his head again. “Don’t count on it. I reckon the first order of business will be for the Minister and his cronies to work out the best way for them to come up smelling like roses and somehow manage to pin the blame somewhere else.” He looked around. “And as I can’t see Professor Dumbledore, I reckon the smart money’s on him.”

Dawn exchanged a surprised look with Connor. “What? How can he pin this on the Headmaster?”

“Very easily.” Malfoy watched the controlled mayhem in the hall under hooded eyes and spoke in a low, controlled voice. “Despite the fact we managed to repel another concentrated attack on the school last night, the fact remains that children died here.” He met Ron’s eyes. “Add to that the battle at the end of last term where other students were killed and the fact that the Dark Lord has managed to infiltrate the school several times in the last few years, and Dumbledore could be in quite a bit of trouble.” He glanced at Connor almost apologetically, “And I’m afraid when it comes to the attention of the Ministry that a muggle demon hunter has been given a place at a magical school and demons were a part of the attacking forces then it’s almost certain that certain measures will be taken by Mr Fudge and the senior board of wizards.”

Connor straightened up. “That could be a problem, couldn’t it?” He looked worriedly at the Minister and Professor Snape and at Dawn, “Is that a problem?”

Dawn sighed, “I’d say so.” She crossed her arms and glanced down at the bodies at her feet and then up at Ron, “Any thoughts?”

“Snape said to keep you two out of the way. Dumbledore’s orders, I presume.” Ron shifted uneasily as the Minister pointed their way and glared at the small group, “I think it goes without saying the ‘no killing’ rule has been reinstated.”

Despite herself, Dawn laughed, “Gotcha.” She dug a teasing arm into Ron’s ribs, “Although technically speaking it never actually got revoked.”

“It’s a little hard to remember to give permission to kill demons when the bloody things are trying to rip your face off, Dawn. I think it was one of those situations where actions speak louder than words.” Ron grinned down at her and then turned at a shout behind him. “Oh bollocks.” Harry was being dragged into the hall between two large Aurors with another man following them. “Now what?”

The man following Harry and his captors caught sight of the fierce blaze of Ron’s hair from the corner of his eye, “There’s some more of them! Arrest them!”

Dawn and Connor completely misread the situation and spun round to take care of the threat apparently sneaking up behind them, blinking in confusion when they found themselves facing the smooth and empty stone wall. Dawn tensed even more, “Get what, are they invisible? Connor, can you smell anything?”

“No.” Connor’s head swung slowly from side to side, “Not a thing. What are we getting?”

“Us.” Draco clapped a hand on Connor’s shoulder and swung him around, “We would be getting us.” He pointed at the group of Aurors swarming towards them. “Say hello to Azkaban, children.”

Dawn’s eyes bugged at the large and grumpy looking men fast approaching, “They’re getting us; what did we do? And why does that name sound familiar? Is the little fat one Azkaban?”

“I’ll explain later.” Ron stepped in front of Dawn and Connor and nearly fell over with surprise when Malfoy moved smoothly to stand at his right shoulder and directly in front of Connor. “What are you doing?”

“Something very stupid.” Draco muttered and pulled his robes about him to stare imperiously at the Aurors now hovering a few feet before them. “What is the meaning of this?” He trod heavily on Ron’s foot to forestall whatever incredibly unhelpful abuse the taller boy was preparing to launch into and continued coldly, “I trust you know who I am? I demand an explanation for this disgusting display of scare tactics.”

Dawn peeked round Ron’s shoulder and watched as a large, heavily muscled Auror actually scuffed his toe into the ground as he tried to avoid the cold silver eyes of the Slytherin prefect. She glanced back at Connor and mouthed, “Wow, he’s good!”

Draco folded his arms, “I’m waiting.” He turned his head and glared at the men still holding the struggling Harry, “Let him go this instant!”

The Auror who had ordered his men to take them strode angrily over, “I ordered you to arrest them, do it!” As he came closer Ron muffled a groan as he realised it was one of the Aurors that had spent the better part of the morning chasing them around the grounds as they had tumbled in and out of Dawn’s portals. The man flicked a hand at the group of teenagers, “Arrest them and detain them in the dungeons until I can question them. Illegal apparating and possible mis-use of dark magics.”

“On whose authority?” Malfoy drew himself up to his full height. “And on what evidence?” He lowered his voice and hissed at Ron. “What the bloody hell have you been up to now, Weasel?”

Connor blinked, “Dungeons? What dungeons?” He leaned towards Dawn and whispered in an undertone. “He means Snape’s classroom, right? That’s not so bad.”

“I don’t think so, sweetie.” Dawn scowled at the Aurors and added indignantly. “And it was so not dark magic.” She reached for her wand and shoved at Ron’s back, “Get out of my way!”

Malfoy’s hand snaked back behind Ron and neatly slapped over Dawn’s mouth as she yelped in outrage. “I said, on whose authority?”

“Mine.” The hall froze for a moment at the sound of a new voice and then all faces turned to the hall doors as a tall, blond man walked slowly through them.

Draco froze for a moment in surprise and then nodded shortly at the familiar sneering face. “Hello, Father.”

  
  


* * *

Hermione looked up as she heard the shouts at the front of the hall and her eyes bugged as she saw Harry get dragged through the doors between two large men and a third point at Ron and yell something angry. From the look on his face she was fairly sure it wasn’t ‘Thank goodness you’re all right, would you like a cup of tea?’ Without taking her eyes off the drama at the front of the hall she reached out a hand to tug Ginny’s sleeve. “I think we might have a problem.”

Ginny looked up from where she was assisting the much wilted looking Penelope Clearwater in setting a man’s broken arm. “Is it more important than this man’s pain?”

Hermione’s eyes widened, as she was the first to see Lucius Malfoy walk through the hall doors. “I’d say so.” She glanced over her shoulder at Ginny. “And when did you take a pompous pill? ‘More important than pain’ indeed!”

Ginny caught sight of Malfoy Senior. “Got caught up in the moment, sorry.” Carefully she laid the man’s arm on the bed and straightened up. “What’s he doing here?”

“Making life miserable as usual.” Hermione put her hands on her hips and scowled as she watched Ron go pale and even Draco blanche at his father’s sudden appearance. “We’d better get over there.”

Ginny sighed. “Must we? I’m beginning to think this ‘Durus Catenus’ thing is highly over-rated.” She directed her own scowl at Malfoy Snr. “And I really don’t like that man.”

Hermione squeezed Ginny’s hand and was unsurprised to find it cold and shaking despite her casual words. “I know. I absolutely swear, he even looks at you sideways and I’ll hex his nose off myself.” She winked at her younger friend, bolstered by her own words. “And do something extremely unpleasant with his cane.”

Ginny gave Hermione a droll look. “I think my brother’s been a bad influence on you, Hermione.”

Hermione flashed a proud grin. “Actually, blame Dawn. She can be very… inspiring.” Both girls looked around at a yell from the top of the hall and Hermione sighed. “See, who else would think of evading Aurors by using them as offensive weapons against each other?”

Ginny followed on Hermione’s heels as the older girl started to sprint towards their friends. “Excellent. We should make it to Azkaban in time for lunch.”

  
  


* * *

“Right, we all know what we’re doing?” Buffy was once more pacing before her fireplace but this time she faced not only the Scoobs but also several representatives from Angel Investigations. Angel and Cordelia stood in tense silence near the window as Fred and Gunn shared the sofa with Anya and Xander, and Wesley perched on the back. Buffy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “The truck will be here in a moment for Angel and Spike and the rest of us will make our way to the airport.” She swung round as Giles entered from the kitchen, “Anything?”

The Watcher shook his head, “No, I’m afraid not. I’m unable to reach anyone from the magical community through my usual sources. Professor Dumbledore is quite unreachable.”

The dark haired vampire scowled darkly at Giles. “Great. I’m thrilled. Can we get going now?” He looked down as Cordelia squeezed his hand in warning, “What?”

“Sweetie, calm down.” Cordy gave her mate a smile and tried to send soothing thoughts his way. “We can’t go anywhere until the plane takes off and that’s not gonna happen for another couple of hours. Just chill.” She chewed on her lip nervously as she glanced back at Giles, “There’s no one else you can think of that might be able to help us?”

“I don’t know.” Giles gave Cordelia a strained smile. “I might be able to contact some Watchers or wizards stateside, but as we don’t really seem to be suffering with the same problems that the UK is it might be a bit pointless.” Giles took off his glasses and rubbed at his tired eyes. “It’s all very baffling.”

Xander squeezed Anya’s shoulders and sighed, “I hate it when he says that.”

Anya nodded in absent agreement. “Me too. When Giles is confused things never end well.” She paused in thought for a moment, “Actually, strictly speaking, when he does know what’s going on it never leads to flowers and candy. Well, perhaps once. Maybe we should do a swap with Angel’s uptight English guy.” She turned to Fred. “Does his research tend to end in blood and guts fests, or do you find yourself just performing the occasional location spell and such?”

The Texan smiled softly at Wesley, “It pretty much ends in blood and guts.” Her dark eyes glowed with humour as she giggled, “If we’re really lucky there’s stuff left to dissect sometimes at the end.”

Gunn grinned at Xander as he pulled a face from Anya’s other side, “She’s a scientist. You learn to love her.”

Desperately trying to shake the image he now had in his head of the slender brunette ass deep in entrails and skipping happily as she dissected glistening purple and red innards, Xander gave a weak grin. “Right.” He shook his head as he caught Anya’s eye and asked himself who was he to judge other people’s happy places. The woman who was having his baby was obsessed with withered chicken gizzards as an all around upper and he still wasn’t entirely sure what a chicken gizzard was or whether they came withered or you had to dry them yourself like jerky.

Another image popped into his head of Anya and Fred teaming up and dissecting demon chickens whilst Anya swiped their elusive gizzards. Xander blinked again and then tried frantically to focus his over-active mind on something less disturbing…like a nice brutal apocalypse. Unfortunately, for once, the universe decided to oblige.

“BUFFY!” The front door burst open as Dawn’s friends Kit and Carlos erupted into the hallway, “SPIKE!” Kit dodged around Cordelia and threw herself at the blond vampire. “Spike, there’s trouble, you’ve got to do something!”

Carlos leaned against the wall and wheezed, “Hey.” He waved a hand at the startled room. “How ya doin’?”

Spike gripped Kit’s arms and guided her to sit down on top of the weapon’s chest. “What’s the fuss about, Suzie Sioux?” He smoothed her dark hair back from her face and crouched in front of her. “What trouble?”

Kit fought for breath and clutched his cold hands. “Demons…in town.” She shook her head. “I think. They had hoods on.”

Carlos took over. “They’re blowing things up.”

Giles exchanged worried looks with Wesley. “Things?”

The young boy nodded. “Cars. Stores.” He paused and then finished unhappily. “People.”

Kit shook Spike’s hands in hers. “There’s kids everywhere.” Her eyes filled with frightened tears. “Curfew’s not for another couple of hours and they’re near the Bronze.”

“Buffy?” Giles looked at his Slayer. “What do you want to do? We have to leave for the airport shortly.”

Buffy shook her head angrily. “The only thing we can do. We need to put this down hard and fast. Anya, stay here with the kids. Keep them safe.” The demon opened her mouth to protest but subsided at a pleading look from Xander. Buffy snatched a sword from the wall and headed for the front door. “Everyone else with me.” Spike squeezed Kit’s hands and then joined the hasty, and heavily armed, exodus out of the door after Buffy.

Anya closed the door after them and turned to the two winded teenagers in the living room. “Don’t worry. Buffy and the others will have it sorted out before you know it.” She smiled brightly at Kit. “Would you like a nice cold soda?”

Kit shook her head and tried to return Anya’s smile. “No thanks.” She moved from the chest and flopped down next to Carlos as he fell onto the sofa. “They will be ok, right?”

Anya peered out the window to the quiet street and said reassuringly. “Of course. We have a plane to catch in a few hours. Buffy would not let all that money be wasted.” She said absently as she craned her neck to see the end of the street. “Did you recognise the demons?”

Carlos shook his head and wiped his sweating forehead. “Nope. They weren’t that big though. Just kept laughing and blowing things up.”

Kit nodded in agreement. “And calling people names.”

Anya glanced down with a frown. “Names? What like ‘big-butt’ or ‘git’?”

Despite herself, Kit laughed. “Spike was here, Anya.” She frowned in concentration. “No, it was something like mulled-blood or mogul.”

Anya’s face paled suddenly as the words rang a distant bell from one of Dawn’s letters. “Mud-blood? Muggle?” She gripped Kit’s shoulder tightly. “Was that it?”

Kit shifted as Anya’s nails dug into her flesh. “Ow! Yes, that was it.” She batted at Anya’s hand. “You’re hurting me! Anya?” Kit exchanged an uneasy look with Carlos at the demon’s stricken face. “Are you ok?”

Anya let go of the girl and stared back out the window. “Oh penis.”

  
  
  


* * *

Dawn had been doing remarkably well holding onto her temper right up until the moment an Auror had mistaken her delicate looks for weakness and grabbed her arm to try and twist it up behind her back as Lucius Malfoy again ordered his only child and his companions removed to the dungeons for questioning. Angry green eyes had glared at the offending Auror as Dawn said calmly. “Ron? About that whole ‘no killing’ thing…”

Ron, torn between wanting to rip the elder Malfoy’s head clean off his shoulders and/or shove it up his rigid, evil arse, reached for his wand. “Maiming only, Dawn.” He heard the sound of fist smacking into face behind him and added. “If any body parts get taken off, make sure they’re easily regrowable.”

Dawn spun into a powerful kick and sent the Auror flying back at his buddies that were starting to raise their wands. “Gotcha.” She dodged as an Auror at the back managed to get off a curse and pointed a finger at him. “You’re next, sonny. Connor, stay low.”

“My favourite place.” Connor braced his hands on Draco’s shoulders and then jumped into the air to somersault over his friend’s head and whistle through the air to land behind the main attacking party. “’Cept for when I want to go high, of course. Harry, duck!”

Harry obligingly let his legs go boneless and winced as Connor mirrored Dawn’s flawless kick from moments before to take out both men holding him. He was rising as they were falling to the floor and then he pushed Connor out of the way as he saw Lucius Malfoy point his wand at Connor. “Get down! Everyone, protective charms, NOW!”

Ginny caught Harry’s desperate shout but was forced to yell at Hermione to duck instead of muttering the words that would cast an invisible barrier around her as she saw Lucius make his move and screamed as her friend dropped to the floor. “Furnunculous!” All the rage and fear that Lucius inspired in her went into the curse and Ginny was delighted to see that not one patch of skin was left unmarked in the small measure of time before Ron took advantage of Lucius’ shock and knocked him off his feet with a solid upper cut to the jaw.

From all around the hall screams of terror and alarm sounded as the unfortunate villagers were once again caught in the middle of a pitched battle. Ron, Harry and Connor moved as one to a small clump of cots on which lay several wounded men and ducked down to the floor. Ron took his wand out of his pocket and ducked as a charm whistled over his head. “You know, I’m really starting to wonder why we bother.” He ducked lower as another charm was sent his way. “We should just bloody let the lot of them get on with it and then take care of Voldemort when he’s killed everyone else.”

Harry looked up at the moan of terror from the man on the bed. “Don’t worry, it’s ok, we won’t really do that.”

“Don’t…say…his…name…” The man clutched at his wounded chest and his eyes rolled back in his head. “He…must…not…”

Harry’s eyebrows snapped together. “Oh for Merlin’s sake, he’s just a man!” He jumped angrily to his feet and pointed his wand at the Aurors moving in on him. “Incendio! Incendio!” Great jets of flame burst from his wand and Harry threw back his head to scream in frustration. “Voldemort! Voldemort! Voldemort! See? Nothing happens!”

Ron sprang up, clipped Harry neatly on the jaw and dragged his friend back down to the floor once more. “Well, I wouldn’t say that exactly. Have you gone completely mad? Now they’re going to think we’re working for Snakehead!”

Connor cursed as a ball of fire bounced off the wall behind him and muttered sarcastically as he fired a bolt from his crossbow into an unfortunate wizard’s thigh. “Yes, because this situation could actually get worse. Why are they trying to arrest us anyway?” His arm snapped up and he sent his axe flying through the air to slice through a wizard’s robes and pin the material, and the wizard, to the floor. “I thought we were on the same side.”

Harry rubbed his throbbing jaw. “Apparently not.” His face darkened. “Whatever’s going on you can bet Malfoy’s father is behind it. The bastard.”

Ron nodded in agreement. “Right.” He risked a look over the top of the cot and saw the medi-witches and Professors scrambling to get the wounded to the far end of the hall and safety. “We need to get out of here.”

Harry leapt on top of Connor as a wizard aimed his wand and screamed the body-bind curse. The two boys pressed flat against the floor as the curse whistled overhead and struck the wall. Harry pushed himself up to glare at Ron. “Really, do you think so?”

  
  
  
  


* * *

The scene that had greeted the Scoobs and the Fang gang when they had screeched to a halt at the top of Main Street and jumped from their cars was one of pure, unadulterated mayhem. Screaming bodies lay everywhere, in some cases floated through the air, and in the centre of it all was a group of laughing, cloaked figures waving thin sticks through the air.

Buffy stared in horror and felt her stomach sink. “Giles…”

The Watcher nodded. “Not demons. Wizards. They’ve tracked the Key. Willow, a barrier, if you please.”

Willow bit her lip and gestured to the people dying all around them. “Giles, if I put up the barrier then we can’t help them.”

“And we can’t help them if we’re dead!” Giles’ voice cracked like a whip, making Willow jump. “A barrier, now.”

“No.” Angel placed a hand on Willow’s arm and shook his head. “We won’t be able to help these people if we’re protected. They’re dying because of our children. We fight.”

“Bloody right.” Spike pressed a quick kiss to Buffy’s head and hefted his axe. “C’mon, Peaches. Last one turned into a stink beetle’s a poofter!” He charged forward with a loud yell.

Cordelia shook her head and raised her own weapon as she started forward after the attacking vampire. “The worst battle-cry in the world ever.” She gripped her sword tightly as Spike made his presence felt by removing the head from one of the wizards and the entire group’s focus was moved from the screaming humans all around them to the grim-faced people running forward with weapons raised. “And so not what I want as my epitaph.”

Buffy smiled grimly as Spike made the most of his surprise attack, and the scant seconds he had left before being overcome by pain from his chip, and buried his axe neatly between a stunned wizard’s legs. “Me either.” She ducked as the first of many curses was fired her way and came up muttering, “But I’m not planning on writing it any time soon either.” She ran another couple of steps and then jumped high into the air to somersault down to Spike’s side as he fell to his knees, clutching his head. “Nice move, hun.”

Spike pushed the screaming man off the edge of his axe and somehow turned in the same movement to bury his axe in the throat of another man raising his wand. “All part of the service, love.” He shouted weakly in surprise as a pair of wizards in front of him were snatched off their feet and hurled though a shop window. “Fuck me!”

“Thanks for the offer, but gay now!” Willow performed a hasty spell under her breath and flung out her hand to push back a group of three wizards that were about to hex Fred, Gunn and Xander as they followed Cordelia’s lead. “I’ll settle for ice-cream later.”

Spike gave a pain-filled laugh. “You got it, Red. You can bloody bathe in it for all I care.” His game face came out as he spotted more wizards appear out of nowhere. “Slayer…”

“I see ‘em.” Buffy ducked another curse and was aware of Willow screaming spells behind her as she went forward to meet the new threat. “Let’s pick it up, people. We’ve got a plane to catch.”

“Crucio!” The curse hit out of nowhere and Buffy’s legs went from under her as the most intense, crippling pain she had ever felt in her entire life gripped her body. She hit the floor face first and lay bucking sightlessly as she tried to force away the pain but was ultimately unable to do anything but scream helplessly as it felt like her body burned from the inside out.

Xander saw Buffy go down and pushed past Gunn to start to run for her. “Buff!” He had taken two steps before the same voice shouted again and Xander went down under his own onslaught of unbearable pain.

Willow could do nothing but hold off her own attackers as one by one her friends dropped screaming to the floor and lay there, unable to do anything to help themselves. Her red hair was starting to tinge with black as the rage and fear inside her began to upset her careful control and the spells and curses she screamed were no longer defensive but designed to hurt as much as possible.

Finally she stood alone before a long line of black-robed figures as the screams of the tortured and the dying echoed endlessly from the walls around her.

Willow gasped for breath as suddenly the wizards facing her put up their wands and silently parted as a tall, slim figure strode arrogantly through. Her skin buzzed as she felt the hate and power roll off the robed person and she instinctively took a step backwards as one pale hand came out from under the robe and reached for her. “Come here, witch.”

“I don’t think so.” Willow could feel a small trickle of blood start from one nostril as the toll of her magic usage began on her body and she began to tremble lightly as exhaustion took hold. “That way does not lay puppies and ice-cream.”

“Why make this harder than it has to be? Wiccan magic has long been thought a poor second to the concentration of power a wizard possesses with his wand. You cannot possibly win.” The voice seemed to undulate through the air and Willow gritted her teeth as she shook off the feeling of the man’s words slipping like oiled robes around her body. “We have come for the Key. Give it to us and we will leave you in peace.”

Willow stumbled back another step and shook her head. “I’m sorry, was that ‘peace’ or ‘pieces’?” Something tells me you might have a little problem telling the difference.” She gestured towards her screaming friends. “Stop what you’re doing to them and we’ll talk.”

“I don’t believe I will.” The figure’s wand sliced through the air and he shouted, “Crucio!”

Willow raised her hands but couldn’t deflect the curse before it hit her and she collapsed heavily to the floor. She writhed in futile panic against the pain swamping her, eyes blinded by agony. The figure walked slowly to stand above her and then raised an arm to sweep back its concealing hood.

A hairless scalp shone in the moonlight and two glowing red eyes stared distastefully at Willow as she screamed piteously on the floor. “I am Lord Voldemort, mudblood. Tell me where to find the Key and I shall kill you quickly.” The Dark Lord’s wand tapped Willow’s shoulder briefly and he muttered the word to halt the charm on her. Long seconds passed as Willow gulped for air and tried desperately to reorient herself and the dark wizard gave her a cold smile. “Tell me where I shall find the ones they call Key and Destroyer or you will suffer untold agonies whilst I break you and everyone you love.”

Willow panted as she looked up into the evil face above hers and tried to force her trembling arms to support her weight. She finally gave it up as a bad job and lay in the gutter helpless before Voldemort. “Kiss…my…Wiccan…ass…you…freak…”

“So be it.” Voldemort nodded and tilted his head as he looked down at the girl before him. “Crucio!”

Willow screamed again.

  
  
  


* * *

Draco stared in horror as his father first sprouted the most disgusting crop of boils he had ever seen and then crashed to the floor when Ron hit him. He turned as he heard Hermione scream Ginny’s name and saw the small red head hit by a spell from the Minister for Magic. The shock at seeing his father suddenly appear out of nowhere and then calmly order his arrest died a blazing death as Ginny hit the floor and he jumped his father’s stunned body as Fudge aimed his wand at Hermione. “Granger, watch out!” Draco’s wand whipped through the air as Hermione dropped to the floor again for the second time in under a minute and he bellowed. “Expelliarmus!”

The Minister’s wand flew out of his hand to be neatly snatched out of the air by Snape as the Potion’s master pointed his wand at Fudge and shouted above the screams and curses filling the hall. “Weasley, get them out of here. NOW!”

Ron looked round from where he was fighting shoulder to shoulder with Harry and Connor as he heard his name. “What?” He was wild-eyed with anger and confusion as what was apparently his own side threw everything they had at him and his friends and curses exploded against the protective spells that all of the magical members of his house had been carrying in readiness since the beginning of the eventful term. Not for the first time Ron found himself blessing Hermione’s thoroughness in research and abilities in the magical arts, as without the charms Durus Cateanus would have been toast before the combined might of the Ministry and the Aurors.

Snape dodged behind the Minister as an Auror blasted a binding curse at him and sneered as the spell hit the unfortunate Mr Fudge instead. “Take them out of here!” He rolled nimbly under a cot as another curse was sent his way and came up the other side in a dusty tangle of robes and lank hair. “Get them all out of here now!”

“To where?” Ron felt his heart sink as he caught sight of more Aurors pounding up the stairs from the grounds and heading for the hall. He sucker punched a small man and yelled. “We’re trapped!” As an afterthought he shouted indignantly. “And we’re the good guys!”

Draco turned at Ron’s shout and then bent and snatched a handful of Hermione’s robes. “Get up, mudblood!” He ignored her yelp of anger at the hateful term and pushed her to where Ginny lay frozen on the floor. “I’ll cover you while you unbind her and then I need you both to accio some broomsticks, can you do it?” He flung himself bodily over Hermione and Ginny as an Auror roared a curse and then raised his head to send a return volley. “It’s our best chance!”

Hermione, reeling from being attacked by her own side and then being saved by Draco Malfoy of all people, gaped awkwardly up at her unlikely saviour. “What?”

Draco pulled her into a sitting position and crouched protectively over the two girls. “Granger, just bloody do it. We’re running out of time.” He fired a curse at an Auror as the man aimed his wand at a very busy Connor. “Confundous!” The man reeled as the charm hit and walked hard into the wall. Draco saw his father push himself up on shaky arms and yelled furiously at Hermione. “Granger, do it!”

Hermione nodded and hastily began to mumble the counter charm to the binding spell on Ginny. She screamed as a charm narrowly missed her and Malfoy pushed her lower. “It’s alright, Granger.” He aimed for the man who had just attacked them and blasted him off his feet. “I’ve got you covered.”

Hermione realised just how badly her world had tilted on its axis when she not only believed Malfoy’s hasty assurance but also took comfort from it. She finished the counter-curse, her wand tapped Ginny’s shoulder and she helped the other girl sit up. “Ginny, are you alright to cast a charm?”

Ginny nodded shakily and swallowed to ease the dryness of her mouth. “I think so. What one?”

“We’re accio-ing some brooms.” Hermione ducked behind Malfoy’s broad back as she saw another wand aimed in their direction and then a horrible snapping sound told her that either Dawn or Connor had taken care of the threat. “Ready? On three.”

Malfoy counted under his breath with the girls as he tried to watch every part of the hall at once and then joined them in yelling, “Accio Broomsticks.” The shout had barely time to die away before Snape scrambled in undignified haste across the hall floor.

“Mr Malfoy, go with Potter and the others. Do not remain here, do you understand?” The normally cold, blank face was flushed with adrenalin and fury as he clutched at the younger boy’s arm. “It is essential that you get Granger and Weasley Junior to safety with the others.”

Draco blinked at the urgency in his housemaster’s voice. “Sir? My father…”

“Your father is unimportant.” Snape bit out the words and then looked up as a high-pitched whine announced the arrival of the broomsticks. “It is imperative that you seven remain uninjured and free. Go!”

Years of conditioning to obeying Snape had Draco grabbing a girl in either hand and sprinting for the others before he fully registered his teacher’s command. Ginny and Hermione huddled close to his side and took a moment to release their own protection barriers. Hermione screamed as a particularly vicious curse bounced off the wall and shouted. “Malfoy, stay with me and Ginny. We’re under a barrier!”

Draco kicked out at an Auror and unapologetically shoved a slow moving nurse into two more. “What?”

“We’re wearing a charm. Stay between me and Ginny and you’ll be covered.” Hermione copied Malfoy’s move to send three Aurors and a Professor she vaguely remembered from third year Muggle Studies flying into a group of cots. She clutched tightly at Draco’s hand as they sprinted towards Harry and the others and yelled again. “Like Connor. Stay between me and Ginny like he’s doing with Ron and Harry.”

Draco nodded and renewed his grip on Ginny’s hand. “And you didn’t think to mention this last night because…?” He dragged the two girls to one side as another group of large Aurors charged them and laughed savagely as Hermione and Ginny both whipped their wands through the air and shouted to bring fierce jets of water bursting from the tip of the wood. Behind him he heard Snape casting charms and curses wildly to cover them and then they somehow managed to reach Dawn’s side. She turned, stared at them and then her eyes widened with shock as she clapped a hand to her head and screamed.

Malfoy let go of Hermione and Ginny’s hands hastily as Dawn dropped like a stone and managed to swing her clumsily into his arms. “Get those broomsticks down here! Weasley, Potter, we’re leaving!” Draco caught a movement from the corner of his eye and turned to meet his livid, and lumpy, father’s eyes. Silver clashed with silver for a moment and then a vicious parody of a smile adorned Lucius’ face as he raised his wand at his son. “Petrifi…ooof!”

Connor shook his fist to free the little bits of pus that clung to the skin from his punch as he vaulted a yelling Auror and landed neatly behind Harry on his broom. “Let’s go!” He turned to Malfoy as the blond boy swung onto his own broom with Dawn still clutched awkwardly to him. “Don’t drop her!”

Ron kicked off as Hermione gripped his waist with one hand and provided covering fire for the others as they lifted off. Ginny, the only one flying solo, led the hasty retreat through the hall doors and blasted a fierce fire charm at the Aurors grouped there to provide a vital few seconds of relief from dodging curses and charms. Hermione and Ron took the rear and Hermione fired every charm she could think of back into the hall as the four brooms hurtled out into the cold November sky.

  
Harry pointed his broom directly at the weak sun and yelled back to Connor. “Are they following us?”

Connor craned his neck. “Not yet. What just happened back there?” He cast an anxious look at Dawn still sagging in Malfoy’s arms. “Has everyone gone completely nuts?”

Ginny looped round to fly next to the two boys and caught Connor’s last outraged remark. “Yes!” The wind nearly whipped her shrill reply away but her set, pale face spoke volumes as she shouted again. “Where are we going?”

“Anywhere but here!” Ron’s voice made the three of them jump as he came alongside them and jerked his head back grimly. “Incoming!”

Connor swore as he looked back and saw what looked to be an entire fleet of broomsticks take off from the grounds. “We need a plan.”

“We’ve got one!” Dawn and Draco caught up with the others and even though Dawn was swaying with shock and her face pale with tension her voice was firm with resolve. “Everyone follow us.” She leaned back into Malfoy’s chest for support and reached out with both hands to fling everything she had into her next move. “We’re going on a fieldtrip…” A field of green energy exploded into life in the middle of the drab sky and Dawn screamed. “Go!”

Harry stared backwards at the grim-faced Aurors that followed them and his eyes widened as one of the lead flyers pulled out their wand. “Oh shit…Ron, go, go!” He leant forward and willed his broom to move as fast as it could, aware of Draco and Ron on either side of him desperately doing the same. Ginny looped under the three brooms and banked in mid air to send another fire charm after their pursuers and then wheeled round to join the others as they plunged into the portal. The doorway held for a few breathless seconds and then just as the Aurors climbed to where it hung, the green light snapped out of existence as quickly as it had appeared taking all trace of the seven fugitives with it.

  
  


* * *

Anya smiled sweetly at the man that had just rung the doorbell. “Yes?” Sheeyed the clipboard in his hand. “Can I help you?”

“I’m here to pick up two crates.” The man popped his gum and scratched idly at his left buttock. “Need you to sign for ‘em.”

“It’s such a hot day.” Anya leaned against the doorframe and raised an eyebrow coquettishly. “Would you like to come inside and…cool off?” She flapped the collar of her woollen sweater against the light chill of the November night and tried to look as warm as she knew how.

The man raised his eyebrows and stared at her protruding stomach. “Uh, no, thank you. Ma’am.” He shifted uncomfortably as Anya pursed her lips and ran a long-nailed hand over her thigh. “I’ll just take the boxes.”

“Really?” Anya licked a long wet trail over her lips. “You wouldn’t like to expose your hard, muscled arms to some cool air and…” She trailed off as the man backed up a step in panic and scowled. “Well, you don’t have to be like that about it! I’m pregnant, not leprous. And we only want your truck anyway.” Anya swung a clenched fist with all her might and hit the man’s temple squarely. “Idiot.”

Carlos and Kit pushed hastily past her and grabbed the felled deliveryman by his ankles to drag him quickly out of sight into the house. Carlos straightened as Anya slammed the front door and looked at her quizzically. “And the ‘Cruel Intentions’ impression was because…?”

Anya sniffed and reached for her jacket. “It always works in those silly films Xander and Spike watch when there aren’t any girls around. The slutty housewife invites the manual labourer into her home under a flimsy pretext loaded with innuendo and then he is under her spell and does whatever she requires of him.” The demon squinted thoughtfully at the wall. “Although there is usually more orgasms involved.” She shrugged. “I thought it would be more subtle than bashing him over the head with a lamp.”

“Yes, because hitting him with your full demon strength was so erotic.” Kit fished the keys to the man’s truck out of his pants and held them out to Anya. “Why do we need the truck again?”

“We need a vehicle big enough to fit everyone in when we go to their rescue.” Anya snatched at the keys and sailed through the front door with the two teenagers in hot pursuit. “It is big enough to be used as a weapon.” She rounded the hood of the truck and paused to look pointedly at the two teens. “And because we cannot afford to replace one of our own cars if things go wrong and we have to blow up this one.”

Carlos grinned as he opened the passenger door and helped Kit climb inside. “Hey, Connor was the one to blow up the cars last time, not us.”

Anya snorted as she stuck the key in the ignition and started the engine. “A likely story. I have read extensive material on children in preparation for my own spawn and I know how your devious little minds work.” Her foot pushed the gas to the floor as she peeled away from the curb and hurtled to the end of the street. “You’ve been suspiciously well-behaved for some months now, that just means that you have something up your funky little sleeves that will require serious monetary compensation and/or therapy. It’s what teenagers do.”

Kit eyed Anya warily. “Did you just call your baby, ‘spawn’?”

  
  
  


* * *

Connor stared around himself as Harry hovered in the night sky and then turned to Dawn. “Where are we?” He looked down at the ground and frowned at the graveyard he saw there. “This isn’t Hogwarts.”

Dawn took a deep shuddering breath and closed the portal behind her as Ginny shot through with a yell. “This isn’t England.” She took a deep whiff of the familiar night air. “Welcome to Sunnydale, people.”

There was a stunned silence as everyone stared at the slender girl and tried to think of something to say. Hermione finally managed to get her jaw and voicebox working in tandem and stuttered. “Su…Sunnydale? Your home?”

“Uh-huh.” Dawn patted Malfoy’s arm that had redoubled its grip about her waist and was cutting off her air supply. “Land of the free and home of the dead. Enjoy.”

Ginny stared about her with wide eyes. “We are in so much trouble. The school really gets nasty when you leave school grounds without permission.”

Connor answered her caustically. “Considering the school was doing its damnedest to lock us up and throw away the key, no pun intended, I don’t think they get to have a vote on this.” He nudged Harry and jerked his head to indicate they should get nearer Dawn. “Are you ok, sweetie? You looked pretty rough back there.”

Dawn squeezed Connor’s hand hard and looked soberly at him. “We have to find the others and fast.” She stared around her anxiously and then looked back at her love. “I had a flash, a vision, something, at the school and the others are in trouble. It was like someone put a hook in my head and was reeling me in. Which kind of explains why we’re not in the lake again.” She put a hand to her head and frowned as she remembered. “I was in Cordelia’s head…I think.” Dawn shook her head in confusion. “I don’t know how, but I know they’re in trouble. I think someone’s come for the Key. We need to get to them.”

Connor paled. “Are they ok?” He swallowed the sudden surprising bitter taste of fear at the thought of his family in mortal danger. “Are they…” He tried to force the word ‘alive’ past the lump suddenly taking up residence in his throat but couldn’t.

Dawn shook her head helplessly. “I don’t know, sweetie. I just know they need us.” She bit her lip. “They don’t have a defence against the way these guys fight.”

  
  


Ron flew his broom alongside Harry’s and Draco’s and said grimly. “They do now.” He patted Dawn’s shoulder. “We’re taking the fight to them, right?”

“Oh yeah.” Connor gripped his axe tightly and looked keenly about him, stretching his senses for any sight or sound of a battle. “I am so past letting this Dark son-of-a-bitch live another second.” He suddenly pointed to the east. “That way. I can smell battle.”

Dawn nodded. “Gotcha. Guys, you up for this?” She looked at the tight faces around her and then craned her neck to look back at Malfoy. “This isn’t your fight.”

Malfoy shifted uneasily as he suddenly became the focus of all of Durus Catenatus house. For long moments he stared at Ginny’s face, half hidden by her hair and shadows of dark clouds and then he looked at Connor who gave him a wide, knowing grin. Despite a desperate urge not to die horribly at the hands of the Dark Lord, and an even more desperate urge to turn his broom for the horizon and head for the hills, Draco found himself smiling back as he said sneeringly. “Considering I seem to be making rather a habit of yanking Potter and Weasley’s nuts from the fire this term, I rather think I better come along and ensure their continued good health.”

Harry narrowed his eyes at the arch-nemesis that had plagued so many of his teenage years and muttered sincerely. “I hate you.”

Connor nodded. “Then it’s settled. Everyone follow my lead.” He tapped Harry’s shoulder and pointed to the horizon. “Go.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


Willow writhed on the floor as the pain hit and then just as suddenly it was gone. She gasped and sobbed on the floor forcing her face up to stare into the laughing red eyes above her. “Give in, mudblood. You have done well but you can not win.” Voldemort gestured expansively around him at the screaming bodies of her friends and smiled almost tenderly, “All your champions are defeated. Your faith in them and your distorted magical religion is misplaced. Give yourself, and what I seek, to me.”

Willow laboriously got to her hands and knees and then managed to climb to her feet. She looked past Voldemort for a moment and then made a great show of trying to focus her bleeding eyes on his. “I wasn’t always a Wicca.” She staggered slightly but just caught herself before she went to her knees once more and sucked in a much needed breath of air, “I was born Jewish. In my culture it’s said that every Jewish baby gets 11,000 guardian angels on the day of their birth.” Her legs gave out finally and she crashed gracelessly to the floor once more.

“How charming.” The Dark Lord gestured once again at the desecrated area, “Your point would be?”

Willow grinned weakly through the blood covering her face and pointed up, “The reinforcements are here.”

Voldemort’s head whipped up just as Connor’s boot lashed out and it was with great satisfaction that the Destroyer heard the unmistakable snap of a breaking nose. He let go of Harry’s waist and with a yell somersaulted off the broom to land beside Willow and scoop her up in his arms. Without pausing he leapt into the air once more and landed with catlike grace twenty paces away next to his screaming parents.

Depositing Willow on the ground, Connor ducked a curse from the Death Eater guarding them and rolled across the floor to pull his crossbow and execute the man where he stood. He leapt to his feet and smiled coldly as Dawn, Hermione, Ginny, Draco, Ron and Harry jumped from their brooms and landed next to him. Connor looked around himself at the Death Eaters and snarling demons, “Ok, guys.” He took a deep breath and gave them their orders, “Get ‘em.”


	17. Chapter Fifteen

The Death Eaters stared in stunned silence at the seven teenagers that had suddenly dropped from the sky. With the exception of Draco, all of them were still covered in bruises and cuts from the previous night’s battle, not having found the time to be properly healed by the medical staff at Hogwarts, and they presented an arresting sight as they stood among the screaming bodies of Buffy and the others glaring coldly at the dark wizards. Hermione glanced up at Malfoy beside her as he got a good look at the wizard Connor had kicked so enthusiastically to announce their arrival and hissed under his breath. “No…”

“Get ‘em?” Dawn shook her head. “Sweetie, you really need to learn some cool opening lines.” She swung her wand towards a particularly optimistic Death Eater who was trying to creep up on the defiant teenagers and blasted him off his feet with a muttered curse. “And the next idiot to try and sneak up on my ass is going home carrying their own in a bag. Hermione, Ginny, get those curses off my family. Ron, Harry, let’s get some protection up.”

Harry and Ron nodded and before any of the Death Eaters could stop them, swept their wands before them and shouted. “Protego Obexicis!” Ron smirked as the first curse bounced harmlessly off the invisible barrier. “Merlin, we’re getting good.”

Hermione and Ginny dropped to their knees with nervous looks at the dark wizards closing in on the group and began to work as fast as they could to remove the curses from Buffy and the others. Dawn narrowed her eyes. “Ok, which one of you ‘David-Copperfield-wannabes’ is Mouldy Wart?”

Despite the extreme grimness of just about every aspect of their lives, Ron found it in him to laugh at Dawn’s belligerent question. He grinned at Harry. “Now I can die happy.”

“Potter.” The enraged hiss raised the hackles of all the teenagers as the Dark Lord stepped through his followers, his menacing presence slightly toned down by the pale hand clapped to his face and the blood trickling over his chin. Harry’s hand shot to his own face at the sudden white-hot pain from his scar. Voldemort’s furious red eyes glared across the top of his bony appendage. “You’ve troubled me long enough, boy, I’m going to…”

“Oh, can it, freak show.” Dawn put her hands on her hips and sneered at the nightmare of the wizarding world. “You are going to do nothing. We, on the other hand, are about to hand you your asses on a plate.” She tilted her head and sniffed the air appraisingly. “You’ve got some power there, hot shot.”

Voldemort stared back at the young brunette and his hand dropped away from his face with a growl. “The Key.”

“She prefers Ms Key.” Connor glowered at the pale man and drew back his crossbow and muttered in an aside to Dawn. “Are you going around with some kind of sign on your back?”

Malfoy took his horrified eyes off of the Dark Lord and nudged Harry in the ribs. “Ms what?”

Harry gripped his wand and scowled. “We’ll explain later.”

Draco expelled a shaky huff of air as he went back to warily watching the mass of evil confronting them. “How very optimistic of you. You really think there’s going to be a later?”

“Malfoy…” Voldemort seemed to register Draco’s presence for the first time and gestured confidently to him. “Come to me, my faithful servant. You have done well.”

Aware of his companions tensing in fury beside him Draco stared at Lord Voldemort for a long moment and then slowly, very slowly, shook his head. He forced himself to ignore the pull of the Dark Lord summons and drew himself up to say with cold dignity. “Actually, I don’t think I will. I don’t serve you.” He gasped with pain as his arm suddenly felt like it had been plunged elbow deep into a furnace but managed to keep his voice steady as he said emphatically. “I will not serve you.”

“Malfoy, what are you doing? What’s going on?” Ginny looked nervously up at the tall, blond boy as sweat broke out on his forehead and he was forced to clutch at his arm with a whimper. “What’s happening?” She stood from her crouch on the floor and snatched at his sleeve to pull back the material and reveal the Dark Mark in all its terrifying glory burning deeply into Draco’s pale arm. “Oh Merlin…”

Draco laughed bitterly through the overwhelming pain. “Surprise.”

Harry took a handful of Ginny’s robes and yanked her away from the prefect. “Not really.” His wand came up and pointed at directly at Malfoy’s heart. “Get away from us.”

“I…can’t…” Draco’s eyes rolled back into his head and he sagged to his knees. “I won’t…go back…”

Dawn looked uncomprehendingly between the boy on the floor and the white-faced wizard watching his pain with perverted pleasure. “What’s going on? What are you doing to him?” She turned to Harry. “Is the barrier failing?”

Ron gripped his wand as Harry shook his head and snarled. “The barrier’s fine. It’s the Dark Mark. It’s how Voldemort calls his followers. It’ll burn until Malfoy goes back to his side.” He lashed out with his foot and kicked Malfoy onto his back. “Let me help you on your way.”

Connor looked down and into Malfoy’s streaming silver eyes. Draco’s face was twisted with agony, and some fear, but he managed to whisper fiercely. “Then it… will burn…forever. I…won’t…go…back…”

“Good enough for me.” Connor blurred and then suddenly there was a crossbow bolt quivering in Voldemort’s shoulder and a piercing scream was torn from the wizard’s throat. “Damn it, I was aiming for his head. Oh well, whatever works.” Connor laughed as another barrage of curses bounced harmlessly inches from the end of his nose. “Did we forget to mention the barrier only works one way?” He bent down to grip Malfoy’s uninjured arm and pull him to his feet as the mark abruptly stopped its intense burn. “You ok, Draco?”

Malfoy staggered slightly and blinked cold sweat out of his eyes. “You believe me? Just like that you believe me?”

“Yeah.” Connor grinned and slapped Malfoy on his back, nearly sending him flying again. “That and I can smell when someone’s lying to me. It’s a whole son-of-a-vampire thing. Hey, Dad!” Connor waved cheerfully to Angel who lay panting on the floor as Hermione broke the curse on him and then the Destroyer looked at Harry and the others in turn. “He’s telling the truth, trust me.”

“He’s a sodding Death Eater!” Ron was nearly crimson with rage. “You can’t bloody trust him.”

Connor put himself between Draco and the other two boys, crossing his arms to say calmly. “I’m not asking you to trust him. I’m asking you to trust me.” Dawn turned away from the three boys to keep a careful eye on the muttering dark wizards and hoped Connor could sort things out quickly, it looked like things were about to get busy again. Connor cocked an eyebrow and stared first at Harry and then at Ron. “Can you do that?”

“Guys…” Dawn bounced lightly on her toes and risked a quick, impatient glance over her shoulder. “Get a move on, the natives are getting restless…”

Harry looked and saw five Death Eaters line up before Voldemort as another wizard tended to his injury and then back at Malfoy, pale and shaking with echoes of pain, but with wand drawn and ready to fight. For a single moment Draco’s face was gone and Snape’s was there before him, Harry blinked and nodded his head quickly. “Ok, Connor. We’ll follow your lead.”

Ron took another few moments, but finally gave a short, jerky nod. “Right. Just don’t come crying to me when he turns us all into newts and feeds us to the giant squid.”

Connor grinned as the two boys took up position on either side of Malfoy and stood ready to fight off the impending attack. “Check. No whining when I’m a newt.” He stepped up to Dawn’s side and smiled lovingly at her. “Ready when you are, sweetie.”

“Ok. You…” Dawn pointed an angry finger at Voldemort. “You and me have some issues to sort out, Chalky.”

The Dark Lord pushed the hooded figure tending him aside and took two fast paces towards Dawn, surprising a scream from Hermione. “Come to me, child. You cannot hope to stand against my might. You will be mine.” The white face sniffed at the air in much the same way as Dawn had moments earlier. “You leak pure power with every breath you take. The very air around you sings with it.”

“Yeah?” Dawn looked absurdly flattered and simpered delightedly. “Really? You’re so sweet. Time to die.” Her hand rose lightening fast in the air and a bolt of green fire shot from her wand to ground in Voldemort’s chest and take him off his feet to crash to the ground some twenty feet away. “Cool.”

“There’s our cue, boys!” Connor fired his cross bolt and spun to kick the teeth from a nearby death-eater’s head.

Dawn swept her wand through the air again and knocked death-eaters off their feet like skittles as she stomped after Voldemort. “You guys take care of the others and I’ll sort out Bright-eyes.” A death–eater screamed as Dawn took the opportunity to land a firm kick to his unprotected groin and she laughed. “Give ‘em hell!”

“Always do.” Connor tucked and rolled to come up directly in front of a cloaked wizard and punch him in his lower stomach, moving hastily out of the way as the figure bent double and vomited in reflex where the Destroyer had been moments before. “Gross.”

Harry, Ron and Malfoy moved forwards together. “Stay between me and Harry, Malfoy. The protection charm on us should give you some cover as well.” Ron fired off a curse that knocked a death eater flying through a plate glass window.

“Avada Kedavara!” All three boys threw themselves to the ground as a large bulky man in a cloak pointed his wand and shouted the killing curse at the top of his voice.

Harry was the first to scramble to his feet and, without any semblance of pity, set the man on fire. “Except against that. I don’t think they want us alive!”

Ron dragged his robes from his shoulders and threw them to the ground as they tangled about his legs. “What a surprise. Girls, how are you doing?”

“Just dandy.” The voice was weak when it sounded but Willow pushed herself off the floor and narrowed her eyes at the surrounding wizards. “Hit the deck.”

Ron’s eyes widened at the sight of the red head drenched in blood but as her hands rose his sense of self-preservation kicked in and he threw himself to the floor, flinging out his arms to take Harry and Draco with him. “Get down…”

The shock waves knocked everybody within twenty feet from Willow to the floor as she threw back her head and screamed into the night. “Absumo!”

Hermione screamed as she was knocked flat on her back and clutched wildly at Ginny as the other girl landed heavily on top of her. She was buffeted by incredibly high winds and the sound of the air roaring echoed painfully in her ears. After long moments the noise finally died away and Hermione bravely opened her eyes to look straight into the ice blue ones of a wryly grinning face.

“Alright, luv?” Spike patted the shocked girl’s shoulder paternally and plucked Ginny from Hermione’s lap to enable her to sit up. That accomplished he collapsed shakily onto his back and beamed up at her. “Red’s gone a bit mental, should be alright in a minute. You’d be Hermione would you?” Hermione nodded speechlessly and Spike gestured to the battle that, thanks to Dawn and Willow thoroughly losing their tempers, was rapidly turning in the good guys’ favour. “S’pect you want to be goin’ and helpin’ your mates now, right?” Hermione nodded again as Spike patted her hand. “You scoot along and me and the others’ll catch you up. Just need a bit of a breather, like. Go on now.” He watched as Hermione grabbed Ginny and hurled themselves towards the swearing Ron, Harry and Malfoy as they picked themselves up from the floor. “Cute kid.”

“What the bloody hell was that?” Harry stared in open-mouthed shock at Willow as the redhead staggered and he jumped hurriedly forward to catch her in his arms. “What did you do?”

Willow shook her head woozily. “Gave ‘em a taste of some Wiccan power.” Her legs buckled and she smiled weakly. “I think I need a minute.”

“Traitor!” The scream of rage drew everyone’s attention to a man on the floor whose hood had fallen back and was pointing at Malfoy with an expression of disbelieving rage. “Betrayer!”

“I can see you two have met.” Ron looked between Malfoy and the man on the floor who was scrabbling to get his legs under him. “You forgot sneaky git.”

“Don’t, Ron…” Hermione bit her lip and looked at Malfoy as he stared silently at the man on the floor. “Malfoy…”

Draco looked down in surprise as he felt a light touch on his arm and was amazed to see Hermione’s hand lying against his sleeve. He raised his eyes to her face and their gazes locked for a long moment before Hermione’s hand fell away and Draco turned back to the man on the floor. “Mr Nott.” His voice was as cool as ever but Ginny and Hermione caught the underlying tension. They exchanged nervous glances and gripped their wands a little tighter as Draco took a few steps forward. “I would advise you to stay down.”

“You’ll die for this.” The heavyset man climbed shakily to his unsteady feet. “None leave the Dark Lord’s service and live.”

“I was never in his service!” Draco’s voice cracked like a whip and Harry and the others flinched at the venom dripping from every word. “He was never my Lord.”

“You took his mark!” Nott swayed before Malfoy’s rigid figure and gestured to his companions. “They are fools to trust you.”

“Good point.” Ron narrowed his eyes and shook his head wearily as Death Eaters began to recover from Willow’s spell and climb woozily to their feet once more. “But does any one listen to me? Not bloody likely. Wingardium Leviosa!” A Death Eater was plucked from the floor and sent flying into the side of a building with a nasty crunch.

“Don’t be an ass, Weasel.” Draco didn’t bother to turn from Nott’s contemptuous eyes and his face was a blank mask as he continued. “I was forced to take the mark in the summer or I would have been killed.” He shook the sleeve of his robe back and Ginny flinched as she saw the Dark Mark burning against the white skin. “This proves I have a vested interest in saving my own skin, nothing more. Voldemort is not my master and he never will be; I serve no man but myself.”

“Well, that makes me feel loads better.” Harry bellowed a charm that sent a torrent of water from the tip of his wand and watched as a group of hooded wizards were swept hard up against a shop front and through the window with screams of terror and pain. “Really, it makes this so much easier knowing that you’re just looking out for number one.”

“And you aren’t?” Draco sneered disbelievingly. “Or have you finally succumbed to your own publicity? Perfect Potter, defender of all things weak and helpless.”

Harry blinked at him for a moment and then swore loudly. “DAWN!” He leapt forward and shouldered Nott to the ground roughly. “Dawn, don’t kill Voldemort!”

“What?” Ron’s mouth dropped open as his best friend raced up the street blasting curses at the Death Eaters between him and Dawn. “What did he say?”

“He said don’t kill Voldemort.” Hermione began to chase after Harry. “Come on!”

Connor shook his head. “It’s definitely a new approach to fighting evil but I really don’t think it’s gonna catch on. Follow me, guys.” He broke into a sprint after Hermione and quickly overtook her.

Ginny shoved Draco and Ron. “Go on, I’ll stay here and guard their families. GO!” She watched as the two boys began to race up the street on the strangest rescue mission of their lives and turned back to the Slayer and her companions. “Hello, I’m Ginny. I’ll be your protector for this evening. Please stay down and out of evil’s way at all times.”

Buffy raised her tangled blonde head and focused blearily on the tiny redhead with the scar and nervous tic in her jaw. “You’ve been spending way too much time with my sister.”

Ginny fired off a fire charm at two approaching Death Eaters as the others began to totter unsteadily up the street after her brother and friends and smirked as two sets of robes went up in an impressive roar of flame. “Don’t I know it.” She peered anxiously past the two flaming wizards that were desperately trying to rip their burning robes off and yelling fit to wake the dead, which in Sunnydale was always an occupational hazard. “Stay down and try and get your breath back, I don’t think it’s over yet.”

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Dawn had barely felt the shockwaves of Willow’s fury and was instead intent on pressing her advantage home with Voldemort as hard as she could. She also remained blissfully unaware of the approach of her friends and was concentrating on channelling every ounce of disgust and hatred for Voldemort’s atrocities through her wand and at the parody of a human face falling back before her. “Come on, you son of a bitch, fight me.” She screamed a fire curse and laughed mockingly as Voldemort barely managed to parry her attack. “I thought you were the tough guy, all skanky and down with your big evil self. You really gonna let a barely trained half-breed take you down?” Another fire curse exploded inches from Voldemort’s face. “Fight me you bastard!”

“Crucio!” Dawn ducked as Voldemort fired off the curse at her and then spun into a scissor kick that landed squarely in his stomach. “Ooof!” Voldemort staggered back in wide-eyed shock as all the breath was kicked out of his lungs.

Dawn tossed her hair back and her face twisted in a gloating grin. “You arrogant, stupid jerk.” She spun again and this time her foot cracked across his jaw to send the old wizard spinning to the ground. “Up to your ass in protective charms but you have nothing to stop a good old fashioned smack-down, do ya?”

“Mudblood bitch…” Voldemort pointed his wand again. “Cruci…”

Dawn’s foot slammed into the fallen wizard’s face and his head cracked sickeningly off the floor. “Bite me.” She reached to the small of her back and withdrew her small dagger that she habitually carried there. “This ends now…”

“NO!” Dawn yelled with surprise as she was tackled physically from behind and both she and her attacker sprawled heavily over Voldemort, her wand skittering from her hand. “No, don’t kill him!” Harry grabbed Dawn’s shoulder and rolled them hastily away from his mortal enemy. “You can’t kill him…”

“Harry?!” Dawn’s eyes bugged as she rolled to her feet. “Have you gone completely NUTS? That’s what we’re here for!”

Harry scrambled up and shoved Dawn further back. “They took children. He knows where they are!” His wand shook slightly as he pointed it at the fallen wizard. “We need to find them.”

Dawn’s face was a study of confusion. “What?”

“At the village, they took children, he knows where they are.” Harry gripped Dawn’s arm as his eyes darted between his friend’s face and Voldemort. “We can’t kill him until…”

“Imperio!” Voldemort’s voice was weak but his aim with the curse was true and Connor stopped in mid-sprint as he was hit full on. All expression bled from his face as he stared vacantly down at the red eyes on the ground and Voldemort whispered weakly. “Kill them. Kill them both…”

Connor lifted his head and focused on Harry and Dawn, he nodded. “Yes, master.”

Harry’s eyes widened in horror. “No. Dawn, get dow…aaah!” He stumbled backwards as Connor raised his crossbow and fired point-blank into his chest. He was aware of Dawn’s scream as he fell and then there was nothing put the pounding of blood in his ears and the burning pain from the arrow that had gone straight through his right lung.

  
  
  
  


* * *

Carlos gripped the door handle as Anya took the truck around the corner on what felt like two wheels. “Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?”

“No, thank you.” Anya slapped the horn as a bunch of bleeding people suddenly appeared in front of the truck. “For the love of D’Hoffryn, get out of the way you stupid sacks of meat!”

Kit screamed as Anya coaxed another burst of speed from their stolen vehicle and people dove right and left to avoid being mown down like grass before the demon’s single-minded effort to get to the Scoobs as quickly as she could.

“Anya!” Kit peered into the wing mirror as they sped away and breathed a shaky sigh of relief. “Be careful, you nearly hit them.”

“The father of my child is in danger of being turned into something icky and non-bipedal.” Anya blasted the horn again as she turned the final corner to their destination. “If I have to squash a few humans to prevent that, then I believe it is an acceptable compromise.”

“Dawn!” Carlos pointed through the windscreen at the familiar, slim figure fifty or so yards ahead. “There’s Dawn.”

Kit stared in bewilderment. “How did she get here? She’s meant to be in England.”

Carlos frowned uneasily as he recognised the tall figure that Dawn was frantically backing away from. “Isn’t that Connor? What are they doing?” He was flung forward as Anya slammed on the brakes of the truck and they halted with a teeth-clenching squeal.

Anya gripped the steering wheel as she saw Dawn suddenly get backhanded to lie in a crumpled heap on the street. “Something’s wrong.” Her eyes widened as she saw Connor bend to snatch a sword from the street and move towards Dawn. “Something’s very wrong. Weapons!”

Carlos didn’t waste any time and flung open the truck door snatching an axe from the truck floor as he did so. “Connor!” Putting everything he had into his frantic run, Carlos took off towards Dawn as she stared up at Connor from the road. “Connor, no!” He was aware of Kit and Anya running screaming behind him but all he was aware of was Connor raising his weapon above Dawn as she lay vulnerable on the sidewalk below him. “Connor!”

  
  


* * *

Dawn screamed as Harry fell back clutching his chest and stared in terror at Connor. “No! Connor, what have you done?”

Connor cocked his head. “Killed him.” Two quick strides brought him within reach and he backhanded Dawn off her feet and sent her skidding along the rough street. His face seemed to flicker briefly in confusion as he watched her limp body land wrapped around a fire hydrant and then he shook it off walked slowly in her wake.

  
  
  


Dawn pushed herself up onto her hands painfully and stared in horrified disbelief as the man she loved snatched a sword from the floor and twirled it absently in his hand as he focused on her exposed throat. “Connor, no. It’s the controlling curse Harry told us about. You can fight it. Please, baby, fight it.”

“Through the heart, boy. I need every drop of blood in her. Don’t spill a drop.” Voldemort’s voice was filled with hateful satisfaction as he watched Dawn’s face dissolve into a rictus of fear and hurt at Connor’s acknowledging nod. The dark wizard laughed painfully. “Always assuming there’s a piece of her heart left unbroken, of course.”

Dawn screamed as Connor raised the sword over his head and rolled to one side as the heavy weapon lunged towards her. “No!” She somehow managed to scramble to her feet and then was forced to keep spinning awkwardly as Connor jabbed his sword straight at her chest. “Connor, you don’t want to do this. It’s me, Dawn, I love you…”

“Dawn!” The shout bounced off the walls of the destroyed street as Carlos raced towards them not seeing the dark figure on the ground. “Dawn, run!”

“Carlos, stay back!” Dawn dodged and weaved as Connor cut and lunged at her. “Stay back!” She yelled as Connor caught her shoulder with the heavy blade and her left side went completely numb. “Oh, God, Carlos, stay back!”

“Dawn…” Carlos gripped his axe as he ran. “I’m coming, hold on…”

“Avada Kedavra!” Voldemort turned as the young boy streaked towards him and screamed with murderous delight when the curse flew from his wand and struck Carlos full on the chest. “Avada Kedavra!”

Carlos was knocked off his feet by the blast of green light and didn’t even manage to cry out before he landed dead at Kit and Anya’s feet. “Carlos!” Kit was running too fast to stop and tripped over his lifeless body, something that probably saved her life as Voldemort fired another killing curse at them. Anya yelled and dove awkwardly out of the way, landing heavily and fetching up against a ruined storefront. The demon clutched her belly as the baby gave a protesting kick and gasped at a sudden sharp tug of pain in her lower abdomen. “Not now!” She gestured frantically to Kit. “Get down! Get down!”

Kit scrabbled round on her bleeding hands and knees and flung herself across Carlos’ body. “CARLOS!” She pressed shaking fingers to his neck and felt hysterically for a pulse. “CARLOS! Oh god…” Tears blinded her as she pressed her cheek to his unmoving chest. “Carlos, please…” She screamed as she was suddenly grabbed from behind and literally hurled through the air to land beside Anya.

Draco flung himself before the two girls and bared his teeth as he watched Ron and Hermione begin firing curses at Voldemort to try and divert his attention from the helpless Harry and Anya and Kit. “Stay down, muggle!” He grabbed Kit’s arm as she tried to shove past him to reach Carlos once more and shoved her roughly to the floor. “Stay down! He’s dead, you can’t do anything for him now.” Ignoring the Anya’s shocked cry and Kit’s frenzied sobbing Draco turned back to watching the street and cursed as Dawn fell awkwardly before Connor. “Stay here!”

Ron shouted as he narrowly avoided being hit with the killing curse himself and rolled clumsily behind an upturned trash can. He could see Harry lying motionless on the sidewalk and was frantic to get to his friend but the relentless onslaught of curses he and Hermione were under from Voldemort and the Death Eaters coming up fast behind them made that course of action impossible and it was all he could do to keep himself alive as he ducked and weaved before the Dark Lord’s fury and the shouted curses from his followers behind them. They had taken out as many Death Eaters as they could in their hasty pursuit of Harry and Dawn, but for every wizard they knocked down two seemed to come out of nowhere to take their place.

Over the other side of the street Hermione was trapped in a shop door way, managing to get off an occasional spell and curse but unable to do any real damage as she couldn’t aim properly from her weak position. A shout attracted Ron’s attention and his eyes widened as he saw Draco erupt from where he was meant to be guarding the two women that had appeared from nowhere and shouting at the top of his voice back down the street. Ron looked where Draco was headed and his eyes widened as he saw Connor rear back to strike as Dawn had fallen to the ground yet again.

“Connor, please, listen to me. This isn’t you. Harry said you could fight the spell, we tried it remember?” Dawn sobbed in panic as Connor sneered at her and raised his sword. “Connor, I love you, don’t do this…” She turned her head as an angry bellow sounded and she saw Draco pelting towards her madly, face twisted with effort as he raced to save her. Her fingers brushed cold, hard metal and she saw a broken length of rebar lying by her side.

Connor paused and looked down at Dawn’s pleading face, a frown flickered over his face and his arms seemed to relax slightly for a brief second but then Voldemort screamed. “Kill her!” The confusion was gone from Connor’s face in an instant and his arms tensed above his head again as he laughed evilly. Draco shouted again and Connor turned his head to look for the source of the new battle cry at the height of his swing. Time seemed to slow for the watching Ron as he saw Dawn lunge desperately for something beside her and then rear up to plunge it deep into Connor’s body and clear through to the other side with a desperate sob. Connor stumbled back in shock and Ron was able to see that a thin iron bar was now firmly embedded in his chest, right above his heart. Dawn screamed hysterically as Connor tugged at the bar as he fell to his knees and then toppled slowly to the floor to lay still.

“Watch out!” Hermione’s frantic warning pulled Ron out of his shocked daze and he looked up in time to see Voldemort point his wand at Malfoy and open his mouth to shout a curse.

Ron swore later that he had never reacted so fast in all his life. “Wingardium Leviosa!” The spell was uncontrolled and the movement of his wand wild as Ron cast his spell but Draco was plucked from the floor with a yell to be sent soaring backwards and out of the way of the killing curse that would have hit him milliseconds later. Ron swore as he saw a lamppost directly in the path of Draco’s wild flight but could do nothing but stare in horror as the other boy slammed into it with a brutal crunch and was bent backwards around it from the force of the collision. The snap as Malfoy’s spine broke under the pressure and the brief scream of agony before he fell to the floor would haunt Ron for the rest of his life and he could do nothing but gaze in dismay at the crumpled body that now lay at the foot of the streetlight.

“Oh no.” Hermione shook her head. “No. No.” Bodies of people she loved seemed to be all around her and her eyes filled with panicked tears as she realised that the remaining Death Eaters were now streaming towards them and to their Lord’s aid. “RON! Ron, they’re COMING!” She shook with fear and grief as the first Death Eater raised his wand and her mind was totally devoid of any means of protecting herself. The wand seemed to rise slowly before her and Hermione watched in numb horror as she waited for her end.

When the thunderous crack sounded in the street Hermione was convinced that she was dead for a moment and then a wonderfully familiar voice bellowed. “Expelliarmus!” Hermione stumbled back with a cry of shock as the Death Eater was disarmed and her rescuer followed up his astonishing entrance with a terrific punch to the man’s face that laid him out on the street. A shock of red hair blazed in the moonlight and Fred Weasley stretched out his hand. “Alright, Hermione? Come on, mate, let’s get out of here.”

“Fr…Fred?” Hermione clutched his hand like as lifeline and blinked with shock as she was tugged to his side. “Fred!”

“Yeah, that’s me.” Fred gave her a tight one-armed hug as he blew another Death Eater off their feet. “The cavalry’s here, sweetheart. Stay close.”

Hermione didn’t need telling twice as she followed Fred across the street to where George was fighting before an equally stunned Ron. Fred shoved her down and then stood shoulder to shoulder with his twin to fire curse after curse at the Death Eaters who were fighting a number of new arrivals in the street. Flashes of light lit up the night and Hermione’s ears rang with the almost unbearable levels of noise that had escalated with the arrival of their rescuers. She tried to look around the street to try and catch a glimpse of Dawn but the heaving, writhing mass of fighting figures made it nearly impossible to make out any particular person.

“Watch out!” The female screech made Hermione jump and she very nearly blasted the brown-haired pregnant woman off her feet before she realised that one of the two stumbling people she was dragging behind her was Dawn. Anya hurled Dawn forwards with all her strength, sending the stricken girl tumbling into Ron’s waiting arms and then with a loud grunt shoved Kit, her other companion, to the floor behind Hermione. Anya rolled to a stop beside their flimsy barricade of the trashcans and gasped. “I didn’t think we’d make it. Where’s Buffy?”

“Buffy?” Hermione shook her head in bewilderment. “I don’t…”

Anya swore as a charm bounced off the wall above her head and repeated impatiently. “Buffy, the Slayer, the one who should be here getting her ass shot up in my place. I am pregnant, you know.” The bitter reproach finished with a pained grimace as Anya clutched at her belly and moaned low in her throat. “Although not for much longer if I do not get to a hospital. I may have damaged the baby.”

“Baby?” George Weasley stared in horror over his shoulder. “There’s a baby out here?”

Cold sweat broke out on Anya’s forehead as her belly gave another warning twinge. “It’s becoming more likely by the minute.” She gripped Ron’s arm tightly, eyes wide with fear. “You, wizard-boy, where is Xander? I need him. Is he alright?”

Ron rocked the nearly catatonic Dawn in his arms, freckles standing out lividly against his white skin. “What?”

“Xander, my husband.” Anya’s grip on Ron’s arm tightened as pain exploded in her lower abdomen. “Is he alright?” Huge, fat tears began to pour down her angular face. “I think I have damaged our child, I don’t want to lose him too.”

Hermione cried out as she glanced down and saw a slow stain of blood flower on the crotch of Anya’s pants. With a quick movement she tugged off her filthy robes and threw over Anya’s body as she started to shake. “All Dawn’s family are fine.” Hermione stripped off her school cardigan and tucked it under Anya’s head as she forced the demon to lie back. “I’m Hermione, I’ll take care of you, don’t worry.” Her wide eyes met Ron’s and she mouthed. “Get help, NOW!”

Ron looked despairingly from Dawn lying shaking in his arms to Anya’s white face on the ground. “How?”

Hermione peered through George and Fred’s legs and out onto the street where the fierce battle still waged. She turned back to Ron. “Go for Ginny. She’s got much more talent with this than I do. She might know something that can help her.” Hermione bit her lip and her eyes filled with tears. “And the boys. Hurry, Ron!”

Ron nodded and shoved Dawn at the sobbing Kit as he raised his wand. “Accio Broom!” He crouched on his haunches and stared up into the sky waiting for the arrival of his broom, the familiar high-pitched whine barely sounded through the noise of the battle but within seconds the familiar object was in sight. Ron looked back at Hermione. “I’ll be right back.” His heart turned over at her pinched white face as she nodded at him and then he mounted his broom with a shout to his brothers. “Look after Hermione. I’m going for help!”

Fred whipped round as Ron kicked off from the ground and hurtled into the air.

“Ron, get back here!” He swore fluently as his youngest brother disappeared down the street and then shook his head despairingly. “If he gets himself killed I just know Mum is going to blame me.”

George ducked as another curse whistled over his head and bellowed. “Sod Ron, lets just get out of here alive first!”

  
  


* * *

Ginny was bouncing nervously on her toes, torn between staying with Dawn and Connor’s families and the need to join the others in the middle of the fight since the sudden upsurge in screaming heralded fresh problems. The adults they had come to save were sitting or lying on the street in various states of shock and pain but were showing some signs of recovery from their ordeals. Only two death eaters remained behind to try and break down the barrier that Harry and Ron had erected and they were becoming increasingly frustrated that all their attempts were proving fruitless.

“Oi, kid, what’s the hold-up?” Spike’s body still trembled with the aftermath of the curse but he had managed to get himself onto his feet. “People to save, dark wizards to massacre, let’s get a soddin’ move on.”

Ginny looked over her shoulder and bit her lip. “I told the others I’d guard you. It’s not safe for you out there.” As if to punctuate her comment a screaming body flew through the air to bounce off the shield and lay whimpering on the street. To Ginny’s relief it proved to be one of the enemy and not one of her house. “I can’t take the risk.”

“Risk is what we do, kiddo.” Buffy was pale and shaking as she and Willow clutched at each other for support, but her jaw was firm with purpose. “My sister’s out there and she needs help. Let’s go.”

Ginny shook her head. “I can’t let you. Even if you can fight, what about the others? I can’t leave them unprotected.” She gestured to Giles, Wesley and Fred who lay silent on the floor. Giles, in particular, looked in a very bad way. Blood streamed from his nose and his breaths came in desperate, shallow gasps as Cordelia moved with frantic haste to try to help him. Ginny cast another anxious look down the street and then moved to join Cordelia. “Here, let me try something.” She closed her eyes, murmured under her breath and then sagged with relief as the tortured sound of Giles fighting for breath faded and his chest began to move more easily.

“So we’ll go and you stay here.” Angel staggered but his grip on his weapon was tight. “I need to get to Connor.”

“Connor can take care of himself.” Ginny jumped as another curse bounced off the charm wall behind her. “My job is to keep you alive and that’s what I intend to do. The first person to make a move to get past me is going to get the hexing of a lifetime.”

“That’s my son out there!” Angel’s eyes flickered gold and his voice deepened to a growl as he glowered at the small girl defying him.

“I know.” Ginny’s voice was small but hard with purpose. “He’s also one of my best friends and I am not going to face him when this is over and tell him that I let you get killed by letting you join a fight that you didn’t have a chance in. NOW SIT DOWN!”

Willow’s eyebrows rose. “Look, missy, I don’t know who you…”

“GINNY!” The tense group all jumped and stared at the sky as Ron shouted his sister’s name. “GINNY!”

Ginny’s mouth dropped open as she saw her brother plunge down from the sky on his broom and scream a curse to take care of the two Death Eaters at the charm barrier. Ron pulled his broom up sharply and yelled. “Hermione needs you, quickly!”

Ginny dashed past Spike, snatched her own broom from the floor and kicked off. “Hermione’s hurt?”

Ron shook his head as Ginny flew through the barrier and pointed back the way he had come. “Not, Herm. Everybody else.”

Ginny nodded and pointed her wand back at Angel and the others. “Stay behind that barrier!”

Ron watched as his sister took to the air, robes flapping behind her, and then turned back to the stunned Sunnydale crew. “Xander, get on!”

Xander shook his head from where he leaned against Gunn. “What?”

“Get on.” Ron gestured impatiently. “Hurry, Anya’s been hurt.”

“What? Anya’s at home…” Xander’s face, already white, bleached of all colour. “She’s not here.”

“She’s hurt, come on.” Ron snatched at Xander’s arm as the older man stumbled quickly towards him and helped in onto the broom. “Hang on.” Without another look at Xander’s companions Ron kicked off and tore through the air to the battle down the street once more.

“Cordy, stay with the others.” Angel waited for Cordelia’s quick nod and then took off in an unsteady run. “Everyone else…”

“Right behind you, Peaches.” Spike put a bracing arm round Gunn’s waist and followed his grandsire through the barrier.

  
  


* * *

“Hermione, stay down, we need to get you there and help the others.” George’s hair was sticking up every which way and he was scarlet with adrenalin from the fight. “Stay out of sight and you’ll be ok. Have you got your wand?” He rolled hastily to the side as a Death Eater shouted a curse at him and then fired one back. Hermione nodded fearfully as he gave her a bracing grin. “Cheer up, Herm, you can do the clean up and dish out some really nasty prefect punishments.” He reached out and touched her dirt smeared face lightly. “Watch yourself. Ready, Fred?” At his twin’s nod George braced his hands on the ground and then burst out into the main battle. “GO!”

The twins had barely left when Hermione felt a sudden breeze and Ginny Weasley dropped grim-faced from the skies. “Hermione, are you alright?” Ginny stared around her at the group of girls. “What on earth’s happened?”

“Ginny, quickly, she’s pregnant and she’s bleeding.” Hermione tugged Ginny onto the floor and motioned to Anya’s clammy face. “She’s one of Dawn’s friends.”

Ginny cast a quick look at Dawn as she peeled Hermione’s robes from Anya. “What’s wrong with Dawn?”

Hermione stifled a sob and shook her head. “I’ll tell you later. Can you stop the bleeding?”

Ginny stared at the top of Anya’s legs, now drenched in blood. “Oh Merlin. I don’t know.” She looked at Anya’s face, alarmed to see that the older woman appeared to be losing consciousness. “No, stay awake!” Instinctively she hit out and cracked Anya across the face. The demon’s eyes opened wide with shock and Ginny hissed urgently. “Stay awake. I’m going to try and help you. Hermione, try and do something for Dawn.”

Hermione wept with fear as she crouched over Anya’s prone body and reached out to clutch Dawn’s hand. “Dawn. Dawn, can you hear me?” Empty green eyes stared blankly at Hermione as the brown-haired girl shook Dawn’s wrist. “Dawn, please, we need you.” Hermione looked at the black-haired girl holding Dawn in her arms as Ginny began to mutter a charm under her breath. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Kit shook with shock and she tried to swallow the tears that were making it almost impossible for her speak. “Car…Car…” She shook her head. “Carlos. Th… They killed him.” She screamed as a body flew overhead and landed with a stomach turning crunch next to them.

Hermione’s eyes widened as she looked into the familiar face of Lee Jordan, the Weasley twins' best friend. “Lee?” Hermione scrambled over Anya and felt for a pulse, her wand slipping from shaking fingers. “Lee?”

“He’s dead, mudblood.” Hermione turned with a gasp as Ginny screamed behind her and looked in horror at the owner of the voice. Voldemort stood over them, leaning heavily on a small, portly man with a silver hand. Ginny raised her wand, but was too slow and flew backwards as the smaller man muttered something and an orange light exploded from his wand and hit her chest. She lay still for a moment and then clutched her face and screamed mindlessly as her scar began to throb with livid, burning light. Voldemort lifted his wand and pointed it at Hermione as she moved instinctively to try and shield Anya from his malicious red eyes. “As will you be. Avada Kedvavra!”

Hermione screamed and threw herself bodily over Anya, hopelessly trying to protect the woman from the killing curse and then screamed again as brilliant green light exploded above her head, but it wasn’t the killing curse. Dawn’s hands had risen as Voldemort began his curse, his gloating voice managing to break through her grief-stricken catatonia, and she had put everything she had left to force a portal to open before the curse and suck it harmlessly away from Hermione and Anya. “NO!” The voice came from above them as the spell left the tip of Voldemort’s wand. “Xander, NO!”

Kit looked up, tears streaming from her eyes at the brilliance of the portal’s light rather than her grief now, and she saw a dark shape plummet towards them and the portal. Dawn cried out and the portal shut down as quickly as it appeared but far, far too late. Kit met Xander’s terrified eyes for a moment before he, and the brilliant green light, winked out of existence.

“Xander!” Anya’s scream was torn straight from her heart. “Xander, no!”

Voldemort laughed delightedly. “Another muggle gone.” His wand trained itself on Dawn. “I will spare the others if you come with me now, Key.”

Dawn pushed Kit’s arms from around her waist and staggered to her feet, eyes empty again with renewed loss and fear. She took one slow step towards Voldemort, then another as Hermione snatched at her frantically. “Dawn, you can’t. Dawn!”

“Come to me, Key.” Voldemort stretched out a white hand and laughed triumphantly. “Come to me…”

The bolt of blue fire came out of nowhere and hit the side of Voldemort’s head with an impressive bang. Hermione struggled to her feet as the Dark Lord was hurled, still clutching his human crutch, into the air and grabbed Dawn with both hands. She stared at the direction the curse had come from and realised that suddenly the sounds of fighting had ceased. In the middle of the street surrounded by bodies and the figures of his supporters stood Albus Dumbledore, glowing with power and his white hair and beard fairly crackling with righteous rage.

“Dumbledore.” Voldemort hissed as his own supporters helped him to his feet. “The Key is mine.”

Dumbledore shook his head slowly. “I rather think not, Tom.” He raised his hand and pointed his wand at the heart of his old student. “I rather think not.”

Hermione watched as another bolt of blue fire burst from the Headmaster’s wand tip and then cried out in disbelief as Voldemort and what could only have been Peter Pettigrew apparated with a loud crack a split second before the spell hit. Shouts of anger came from all over the street as the Death Eaters still capable followed their master and then there was nothing but the silence and the moans of the dying.

“Dawn? Connor?” Buffy pushed her way past Dumbledore and caught sight of her sister. “Oh, thank God. Dawn!” The Slayer forced her aching body into a run and gathered Dawn into her embrace as Hermione released her to cradle Ginny still screaming on the ground. “Sweetie, are you ok?” Buffy drew back and smoother Dawn’s hair from her face. “Are you alright? Where’s Connor?”

Dawn blinked as Angel appeared behind her sister and her arm rose slowly to point across the street. “Connor’s over there. Right where I killed him.”

  
  



	18. Chapter Sixteen

For all of the conscious members of Durus Cateanus, the minutes immediately after their first battle with Voldemort would be lost in a blur of frantic activity and confused shouting. Dawn was aware of Angel howling as he raced to Connor’s side and the shouting and frantic movements of the reinforcements as they moved amongst the bodies littering the street. Ron knelt watching with glazed eyes, holding Hermione and Ginny in shaking arms, as Angel moved his hands over the prone Connor in panic, searching for any sign of life.

Dawn stood empty-eyed in Buffy’s embrace as the two girls watched the vampire. Spike came stumbling up. “Bit.” He grabbed the two girls and glanced at his grandsire. “What’s going on?”

Buffy’s eyes shimmered with tears. “Connor’s been hurt.” She looked around her helplessly. “Everyone’s been hurt.”

Spike followed her gaze and then his eyes widened as he caught sight of Anya on the ground. “Fuck!” He raced to her side and dropped onto his knees as he caught the overwhelming scent of blood. “Demon-girl, what’s happened?” He swore again as he saw the amount of blood staining her thighs. “Hold on, luv, hold on. SLAYER!” Spike clutched the silent Anya’s hand. “Hold on, baby.” He looked at the screaming Ginny in Ron’s arms and the stricken Kit still leaning against the wall. “Kit, bleedin’ help them! Snap out of it!”

Kit blinked slowly at Spike’s harsh tone. “What?”

“The chit.” Spike jerked his head at the small girl clutching her face on the floor. “Help her! What’s the matter with you, are you hurt?”

Kit shook her head and moved to Ginny’s side. “No. I…” Her throat thickened unbearably. “Carlos…he…he…”

Spike looked around for the young boy. “Where the bloody ‘ell is he? We need all the hands we can get. BUFFY!”

Kit began to weep softly and whispered so quietly that Spike almost missed it. “He’s dead.”

The vampire froze. “What?” He stared around him in the confusion. “Don’t be bloody daft. Where is he? Carlos! Carlos, get over here!”

Kit sobbed as she tried to pull Ginny’s hands from her face. “He’s dead.” She turned a stricken face up to Buffy as the older girl arrived with Dawn still in her arms. “Carlos is dead.”

Buffy dropped down beside Spike and pushed Dawn towards Kit. “God, Ahn… Spike, go find Willow.” She bit her lip at the blood on her friend and gave her lover a gentle push as she said in an undertone. “Then go and look for Carlos.”

Spike nodded and vaulted Ron and the girls in one panicked leap. “RED!”

Buffy watched him race down the street and then looked down at Anya. “It’s ok, sweetie. We’re here now.”

Anya stared at the Slayer with dry eyes. “Xander…”

Buffy nodded distractedly. “I know, honey. We’ll get Xander for you. Just hang on…”

Anya shook her head. “No. Xander’s gone…” Her face twisted with heartsick agony as she clutched Buffy’s hand in a fevered grip. “Xander’s gone.”

Buffy’s hands clutched at Anya’s tightly. “What?” She looked wildly around her as though expecting Xander to come popping up from behind a bin wearing a foolish grin and cracking one of his lame jokes. “Xander!”

Ron swallowed and tried to soothe his pain-wracked sister as he said. “He jumped off the back of my broomstick when he saw Voldemort about to curse Anya.” Silent tears began to trickle down his filthy, bruised face. “He didn’t see Dawn send a portal to swallow the curse and jumped to try and save them. He went right into the portal.”

Buffy shook her head in denial. “No. Oh, no…” She jumped as Professor Dumbledore laid a hand on her shoulder and stared at him in betrayal. “You said you would protect them…”

Dumbledore seemed to flinch and then nodded. “I know. We must leave here. We can only hold back the muggles for so long.” He turned and gestured to Fred and George who ran past him carrying a stretcher and began to gently lift Anya onto it. “Please, hurry. We will see to your injuries at the school.”

Ron shook his head emphatically. “No way, there’s no way we’re going back there. They tried to arrest us!”

Buffy moved hurriedly out of the way as Anya was lifted from the ground and borne away. “What? Hey, bring her back here!” She screamed as Anya and the two boys carrying her disappeared in a loud clap of sound. “Anya!”

Dumbledore took her arm in a bony grip and moved her aside, as another stretcher team appeared to take charge of Ginny. “Please, we have to go.”

“Get off her!” Ron lunged forward and shouted furiously as his sister was taken out of his reach. “Ginny…”

“Ron, Hermione, trust me.” The Headmaster had never looked more serious as he stared at his students. “No harm will come to you at Hogwarts. Please, go with Mr Wood.”

Ron blinked and shook his head. “Oliver?” He stared at the former quidditch captain. “Oliver?”

Oliver Wood smiled and gripped the disbelieving hand that Ron stretched out to him. “Come on, mate. I’ll look after you both.” He wiped a smear of blood from his cheek and gave Ron’s hand a gentle tug. “Come on, Ron.”

Hermione clutched at Ron’s other hand. “Ron…”

“It’s alright, Herm.” Ron squeezed her hand tightly and determinedly didn’t look at Dumbledore. “Oliver’ll see us alright.” He looked past the older man. “Harry!”

Dumbledore nodded quickly to Wood. “Take them with Harry. They should be together. Go!” Oliver nodded and quickly moved off, tugging a small can of air freshener out of his robes as he did so. He held it out to Ron and Hermione and they disappeared along with Harry and his carers with a loud bang. “Miss Summers, please come with me. Bring both your charges.” Dumbledore gestured to Dawn and Kit as they stood side by side. “Hurry!”

Buffy scowled up at the tall old man and then nodded brusquely as she caught sight of Angel and Cordelia being taken along with Connor from the street by an escort of wizards. She gathered the girls to her and promised bitterly. “There is going to be a reckoning for this. Let’s go.”

Professor Dumbledore held out a can of tomato soup. “Touch this; the spell will do the rest.” Buffy gave the old man one final glare and then took Dawn and Kit in a firm grip in either hand and pressed their fingers to the can. Nothing happened for a moment and then she felt a sharp tug just below her navel. The world shimmered and then the blood soaked streets of Sunnydale were gone and the three girls found themselves standing in the middle of the very crowded hospital wing at Hogwarts.

  
  


* * *

Dawn remained only hazily aware of her surroundings as the hospital wing exploded into frantic life around her.

“Get that boy into a bed!”

Everywhere she looked there seemed to be badly wounded and lifeless bodies and bustling frantic figures in white all shouting and pushing as they fought for the lives of the Sunnydale wounded.

“I need some help here! She’s bleeding heavily and I can’t find any life signs from the baby…”

She made eye contact with a little girl on a cot, eyes huge in a thin pale face, and a thick white bandage at her throat. Dawn frowned and then realised that the child was a survivor of the battle for Hogwarts that had taken place a scant twenty-four hours before. It seemed like days.

“The arrow won’t come out of his lung without tearing. I need someone to hold him down!”

Dawn stumbled as she was wrenched from Buffy’s arms and pushed towards a bed. Penelope Clearwater peered into her eyes and she ripped Dawn’s shirt away. “Miss Summers, have you any other injuries? Dawn?” Dawn looked down at the clean hands probing her wound and then allowed her eyes to drift back to the controlled mayhem that was taking place behind the other girl.

“Ginny, Ginny, can you hear me?”

Buffy shoved the taller figure of Penelope aside. “Get away from her.” The Slayer took Dawn’s face between her hands and stared into the blank green eyes. “Dawn, sweetie, it’s ok. I’m here.” Dawn stared dumbly back at her without any sign of recognition.

“His spine is completely shattered. It will have to come out. Someone get me the Skelegrow!”

“Dawn!” Buffy gripped her sister’s shoulders and shook her lightly. “Dawn, honey, say something.” Dawn stood passively in Buffy’s hands and her sister’s eyes filled with tears. “Don’t do this, Dawnie. Don’t give up on me…”

“Miss, best to leave the…UGH!” The Auror who had tried to pull Buffy to the side and allow Penelope access to her patient flew across the room and smashed into the wall with a grunt of pain.

Buffy’s lips drew back from her teeth in a feral snarl. “Stay away from her.” She let go of Dawn as another Auror stepped up to her and spun to kick him twenty feet through the air. There was a crash of bedpans as he landed and the conscious in the room began to scream. “You’ve done enough, just stay away from her!”

“STUPIFEY!” Buffy jerked in shock as the spell hit her and then fell bonelessly to the floor. Dawn watched with detached indifference as Professor Snape sneered in satisfaction as he lifted his wand and then as Spike and Angel turned with a roar to rush to Buffy’s defence and received the same treatment. One by one, the remaining members of the Scoobs and the Fang Gang were knocked out as they screamed battle cries and ran to their fallen comrades aid and then Dawn was left staring blankly as her sister was lifted up and carried away from her. Penelope hurried forward again and began to clean Dawn’s wound with quick competence. Within minutes she was efficiently bandaged and her filthy top pulled back on and then Penelope nodded to someone over Dawn’s shoulder and melted away.

“Miss Summers, Dawn, can you hear me? Miss Summers?” Albus Dumbledore touched Dawn’s face lightly and spoke in a low, unthreatening voice. “Dawn, my dear, you are quite safe. Listen to me, Dawn.” He took one of her icy hands between his own and rubbed her flesh gently. “Dawn, listen to me, you must say something. You are safe now, quite safe. No one will harm you or your friends here.”

Dawn gave a tiny jerk at the mention of her friends and focused on the blur of white inches before her eyes and with difficulty brought into focus the solemn face of Dumbledore. “Professor?”

The headmaster breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness, I thought we had lost you there for a moment.” He patted her ice-cold hand kindly. “Come with me, my dear. There is nothing you can do here tonight.”

“I killed them.” Dawn’s green eyes were dazed and wide with horror. “I killed them all.” Her body began to shake under the thick blankets that someone had thrown around her shoulders. “They’re dead…”

“No!” Dumbledore took a firm grip on Dawn’s slender shoulders and squeezed her hard. “No, you did not kill them. They are alive.” His eyes narrowed as her head shook in denial and he pulled her unresistingly to her feet. “Look…” He shouldered a white-robed medic out of the way and forced Dawn to look at Harry on the hospital bed. “He’s alive.” Swiftly Dawn was turned to the other side and Dumbledore pointed down at a still whimpering Ginny. “Alive.”

Dawn touched a hesitant finger to the back of her friend’s hand and jumped as Ginny moved slightly. “Oh God…” Tears began to fall down her filthy face. “I thought…I thought…”

The headmaster nodded sympathetically. “I know, my dear, I know.” He pulled her blanket more snugly around her shoulders and started to guide her to the door. “Let us find you some rest. Professor Snape is replenishing the stocks of sleeping potion that he made earlier and he’s just measuring you a draught…”

Dawn stopped dead as she caught sight of a familiar body lying motionless on a bed in a corner of the room. “Connor…” The wail of grief silenced the urgent bustle behind her as Dawn trembled by the door. “Connor…”

With strength surprising in a man of his advanced years, Professor Dumbledore wrapped his arms around Dawn as she tried to run to her love’s side. “Miss Summers, there is nothing you can do for him. Miss Summers…”

“CONNOR!” Dawn screamed in denial as she saw a woman bustle forward to draw a curtain around the bed. “CONNOR!”

“Poppy, a sedative charm, quickly please.” Dumbledore grunted as Dawn collapsed screaming with pain in his arms and her dead weight took them both to their knees.

“CONNOR!” Dawn writhed and managed to squirm free. She scrabbled around Madam Pomfrey as the matron reached for her and ran for the curtain that hid Connor. Inches ahead of her pursuers she ripped the material aside and threw herself at the bed. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” Hands gripped her shoulders and tried to pull her away as Dawn fought like a wild cat for her freedom. “Connor, I’m sorry…”

“Dawn…” Professor Dumbledore pulled Dawn back and held her tightly to him. “Dawn, try to calm down.”

Dawn’s eyes were glued to the silent body on the bed. “I didn’t mean to, I didn’t want to kill him…” Her breath came in short, sharp pants and spots danced before her eyes as hysteria rose within. “I didn’t want to kill him; I love him…”

CRACK!

The entire room gave a shocked gasp and Madam Pomfrey cried out in horrified protest as Severus Snape backhanded Dawn so hard the blow nearly sent both the student and the headmaster to the floor. Dawn stared in shock at the potions master as a livid red handprint bloomed on her cheek; Snape glared down his hooked nose. “This is a sickroom, Miss Summers, and unfounded hysteria is not tolerated. Mr Angel is alive, you have not killed him.” He nodded to the headmaster and took Dawn’s arm in a hard hand as Dumbledore let her go. Snape led her briskly to the bed and took one of her small, cold hands in his and pressed it to Connor’s neck. “There. A pulse. I can assure you Mr Angel is in no more mortal danger than you are.”

Dawn’s fingers shook as she felt under her touch the weak, but unmistakable, flutter of a pulse. “It’s a trick. You’re just trying to protect me. It’s a trick…”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Snape curled his lip and sneered disparagingly down at Dawn. “What possible reason would I have for wanting to spare your feelings? I am merely stating the truth. The muggle is alive and if you have quite finished with your embarrassing display of emotional hysteria I believe you should leave Madam Pomfrey and her staff to do their job and return to your house until you are needed.”

“But…but…” Dawn’s face somehow managed to get even paler and her eyes, sore from weeping, began to shimmer with something like hope. “I saw him die. I stabbed him and killed him.” Her chest began to heave and tears filled her eyes once more. “I killed him…”

“Miss Summers, I would advise you not to continue with this pitiful display or to continue to call me a liar.” Professor Snape gave Dawn a brisk shake and then released her to glare at her in disgust. “I can assure you I have no problem repeating the course of treatment I just administered. You have received adequate care for your injury and there is no reason for you to remain underfoot when so many people are in urgent need of aid. Come with me please.”

Snape pointed at the door, and then when Dawn still hesitated gave her a small shove to get her moving. “Now, Miss Summers. I assure you if there is any change in the muggle’s condition I will alert you. Headmaster, I will take responsibility for Miss Summers. I believe she would be well served to be kept out of the way of the other students until she has back what passes for her control on her emotions.”

“Very good, Severus.” Professor Dumbledore smiled faintly as the dark-haired man steered Dawn none-too gently from the room and then turned as Madam Pomfrey bustled up, bristling with indignation.

“Albus, you cannot be serious. That poor young girl needs care and understanding, Severus Snape is no more equipped to deal with her needs at the moment than I am to deal with playing Quidditch.” The matron’s face was drawn with fatigue but her eyes were alive with outraged disbelief.

Dumbledore shook his head. “Poppy, Severus is exactly what Dawn needs at this moment in time. I have absolute faith in his judgement and abilities in this matter.”

Madam Pomfrey sniffed. “I see, and the fact that I have over twenty-five years experience in dealing with medical situations, some of them extremely severe, does nothing to tell you that I may have some very real reservations about this situation?”

“Of course, Poppy.” Dumbledore patted the matron’s shoulder and smiled wearily. “But Dawn needs something other than what your medical expertise can give her at this moment.”

Madam Pomfrey sniffed. “Really. Such as?”

“Something to believe in.” The headmaster shook off the exhaustion that was gradually stealing over his body and smiled again. “I have found there is nothing more difficult to disbelieve than Severus Snape in his full, disparaging splendour. He will neither sugar coat what has happened with well-meaning platitudes nor will he lie to the girl. That is what she needs.”

“Hmm.” Madam Pomfrey turned on her heel and marched away down the ward. “On your own head be it.”

Dumbledore watched her go with weary eyes. “It always is, Poppy; it always is.”

  
  
  


* * *

Dawn looked vacantly about her as Professor Snape shut the door behind them. “This isn’t my dorm.”

“It most certainly is not.” Snape waved his wand, muttered under his breath and the room was lit with flickering light from the fireplace and the glass lamps on the wall. “I have a duty to the other students in this school and while you are so obviously mentally unbalanced I prefer to keep you where I can see you. These are the Slytherin guest quarters.” Without bothering to look at Dawn, still swaying by the door, the professor strode over the stone floor of the room and opened a dark, wooden cabinet. “I have your sleeping draught; you are going to drink it and then you will get into bed where hopefully you will sleep off this ridiculous malady of extreme self-pity and wake-up somewhat more useful than you’ve proven so far.” Snape turned back from the cabinet holding a small glass of liquid and looked Dawn up and down scathingly. “Although I rather doubt it.”

Dawn blinked. “It’s cold.”

“It’s a dungeon, it’s meant to be cold.” Snape glanced around the austere room, nodding approvingly at the formal furniture and undecorated walls. “We Slytherins do not believe that the comfort of the body necessarily equates with the function of a well ordered mind.” He walked back to Dawn. “Drink this.”

Dawn took the glass and stared at it uncomprehendingly until the professor gave an impatient hiss and she hesitantly put it to her lips. Snape stood over her until she drained it to the last drop and then took the glass and shoved her towards a door in the corner of the room. “Through there you will find the bedroom and some night clothes. Please put them on and get into bed.”

Dawn stumbled forwards and stopped by the door. “Ron, Hermione, I don’t remember seeing them in the infirmary…”

“They are fine. Professor Dumbledore ordered them to be returned to their dormitory the moment he was assured of their physical health. They are well guarded and are safe for the moment.” The firmness of Professor Snape’s voice brooked no argument. “I believe they left before it became necessary to sedate your sister. Now, do as I say and I will contact the hospital wing for information on Mr Angel’s condition.” He watched as Dawn opened the door after another slight hesitation and disappeared into the room beyond. After a quick fire call to Professor Dumbledore and a hasty slug of fire whisky snatched from the cabinet, the sallow faced man walked across the room and tapped on the bedroom door. “Miss Summers, are you clothed?” A small murmur of assent came from behind the door and Snape cautiously opened the door to check that Dawn was in bed and decent then he marched into the room.

Dawn lay in the middle of the huge bed, her eyes pools of fear in her face as she watched her teacher approach. Despite himself, Snape felt something akin to pity as he looked down on the still filthy face on the white pillows. He folded his arms to hide his discomfort and glared down. “Mr Angel is resting comfortably. Professor Dumbledore will remove the curse before he leaves for his quarters for the night and your…friend should awaken in the morning with nothing more than a slight stiffness from his wound.” Dawn’s eyes began to leak silent tears, which prompted the professor to sniff in exasperation and snap. “Stop that. I just told you that he would live.”

“I…I know.” Dawn’s vision was blurring from the sleep draught, giving her the appearance of a slightly boss-eyed kitten. “I believe you. You wouldn’t be mean to me otherwise. You’re just like Spike.”

“I beg your pardon?” Looking highly affronted by her slurred remark, Snape spat. “What did you just call me?”

“My…dad…” Dawn’s eyes drifted shut as the sleeping draught began to really kick in. “Just…like…my…d…” Her head rolled to the side on the huge pillows and her breathing evened out as she slipped into her drugged sleep.

“Wake up!” Snape shook Dawn’s shoulder firmly. “Wake up, right now! How dare you speak to me like that. Ten points from your house! I’ve seen your father, I am nothing like that…that…” Words failed the poor man at the horror of being compared to Spike and he could only scowl ominously down at the oblivious girl in the bed.

When Dawn failed to stir, Snape bent to pull the covers over her shoulders and tuck them under the mattress. Muttering under his breath he stomped around the bed and did the same thing on the other side before adjusting her pillows to make her position more comfortable. With a final glare he left the room, carefully leaving the door open an inch in case Dawn woke in the night and called out, and then settled himself in a high backed chair before the fire with his bottle of fire whisky and a large glass tumbler. The flames played over the drawn face for a few minutes as he sipped his whisky and stared into the fire’s depths and then the Potions Master looked back at the bedroom door indignantly. “Your father is a demon! Make that twenty points!”

  
  
  
  


* * *

Ron closed the door behind him with a soft click and leaned against it wearily. “That was, without doubt, the worst night of my entire life.”

Hermione nodded as she collapsed onto the sofa. “I know.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Poor Dawn.” She bowed her head as the tears spilled onto her cheeks. “And poor Connor. I don’t know how he’s going to live with himself.”

Ron hastily pushed away from the door and crossed to his weeping friend. “Herm, don’t.” He sat beside the crying girl and put an awkward arm around her shoulder as she cried. “It’ll be alright, you’ll see. Dumbledore will have something up his sleeve to make things right.”

“Connor tried to kill Dawn.” Hermione turned and pushed her face blindly into Ron’s shoulder. “How can anyone make that alright?” She flung her arms around Ron’s neck and cried. “How can it be alright ever again?”

Ron held her tightly against him as she cried and fought the urge to join her in the sob fest. “I don’t know.” He squeezed her tighter against him and said desperately. “I don’t know, but I promise you it will be.” One hand found its way into Hermione’s bedraggled hair and he began gently working the tangles through his fingers. “Don’t cry, love. We’ll get it sorted out.” He sat staring into the fire as Hermione cried out her residual terror and anger at the night’s events, trying to think of the right words to say to make things seem brighter. With the rest of their house in the medical wing and themselves barely able to stand it was all he could do to keep sitting upright on the sofa and eventually Ron decided the best thing he could do would be to just let Hermione cry herself out, or unconscious, and then get them up the stairs to bed.

The minutes ticked slowly by with the only sound in the room the heaving of Hermione’s sobs and then that too died away until only the soft popping of the logs in the fireplace echoed off the stone walls. Ron squeezed Hermione’s shoulders lightly. “Are you ok?”

Hermione nodded against his damp robes. “Yes.” She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Ron.” She allowed herself another few seconds in his arms and then pushed away from him. “We should go to bed.”

Ron smiled softly at her swollen face. “Things will be better in the morning.” He tore his eyes away from her trembling lower lip and told himself that kissing her now would be the absolute worst thing he could do under the circumstances. He contented himself with patting her cheek and getting to his feet to hold out his hand. “Come on, we’ll want to be up early to get back to the others.”

Hermione took his hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. “Ok. I’m sorry for being such a wimp.” She looked back as Ron tugged sharply on her hand and glared at her.

“Don’t ever be sorry for that, Hermione.” Ron squeezed her hand tightly. “You’re one of the bravest people I know and you have nothing to be ashamed of for being upset over what happened to your friends.” He smiled at her warmly. “It’s a good feeling knowing that you can do that with me.” Another silence stretched between them as they stared into each other’s eyes. Hermione took a hesitant step back towards Ron and he suddenly shook his head. “You’re making me all soft now. Come on, bed, before I start having a burning desire to braid your hair or something.” He grinned a lop-sided grin. “That’s the last thing I need, going all girly and stuff.”

The thought of tall, broad-shouldered Ron ever being in the same sentence with the word girly, much less actually being it was enough to force a tiny laugh from Hermione as she allowed him to lead her up the stairs to the dormitories. “I think you’re safe.”

  
  
  


* * *

Ron was just starting to drift off an hour and a half later as the door to the boys’ room opened. “Ron?” Hermione stuck her head slowly inside the dark room and peered into the gloom. “Are you awake?”

Ron, caught firmly between dreaming and awake, raised his head. “’Mione? ‘Zat you?” His head wobbled as his eyes drifted closed again. “S’matter?” His head hit the pillow with a soft thump.

Hermione shivered in the chill of the corridor and wished that her thin cotton pyjamas afforded her a bit more protection. “I can’t sleep in that room on my own. Can I stay with you tonight?” She looked at Harry’s unoccupied bed. “I won’t disturb you.”

Ron’s face smoothed into a beatific smile as he realised he was having one of his favourite fantasies to ease him into sleep after his difficult night. Praise Merlin! “Sure. C’mon.” He patted the cover over him and mumbled. “Plenty o’ room.”

Hermione, half way to Harry’s bed, froze with one foot in the air and looked towards Ron’s bed. “What?”

Ron lifted the covers invitingly. “C’mon, love.” He shivered. “S’cold.”

Hermione sidled uncertainly over to look down on Ron’s face as he smiled into his pillow with his eyes shut. “You want me to sleep with you?” Her voice nearly rose from its careful whisper but she managed to pull back from a full-blown screech in time. “In your bed?”

Ron groped for her hand and pulled her down onto the mattress. “Don’ wanna sleep on the floor, d’you?” He wriggled happily as she lay rigidly next to him. “Tha’s not how it goes, love.” His head swam as sleep crept inexorably up on him and he pressed a sloppy kiss against her neck. “’Night, Herm…”

Hermione stared up at the bed’s canopy, rigid with shock as Ron’s body went lax with sleep against her. A horrible realisation was stealing over her that Ron wasn’t quite as awake as she had thought him to be and he had in fact been talking to her when asleep. She had landed with her head pillowed on his arm, her legs still dangling off the edge of the bed, and her stomach was feeling the heat of Ron’s other hand as he curled it possessively over her. She turned her head as he gave a light snore. “Ron?” Hermione scowled uncertainly. “Ron, I don’t think this is a good idea. We’ll get in all sorts of trouble if anyone finds us.” She jumped as he frowned and mumbled something under his breath before slipping his hand further round her waist and pulling her more securely against him. “Ron!” Hermione tried to squirm lose, suddenly sure that leaving her room was a truly horrendous idea, and only succeeding in making Ron cling onto her with all the tenacity of a limpet to a rock.

Hermione lay biting her lip in the dark as she tried to work out a way to extract herself without waking Ron up and thus having to endure a very humiliating conversation as to why she’d apparently invited herself into his bed. She gave a gasp of surprise as Ron suddenly rolled onto his back, taking her with him to sprawl on top of him and bringing her cold feet into contact with his warm legs. “Aaaiiii!!!” Ron’s eyes popped open with shock. “What the bloody hell…?” He moved his legs away from the ice blocks that were Hermione’s feet and stared wild eyed at the bushy hair spread over his chest, “What’s going on? Who’s that?”

“Ron, it’s ok. It’s me.” Hermione’s world spun as Ron gripped her shoulders and pushed her onto her back and then leaned over her with his fist cocked and ready to punch out. “It’s me! Hermione!”

“Herm?” Ron uncurled his fist and scrubbed the hand over his face in a bid to wake himself up. “What’s happened? Is everything alright?”

Hermione’s eyes widened as one of Ron’s legs slipped over one of hers and rested on the mattress between her legs. “Yes! Everything’s fine!” She tried to sneak unobtrusively away from him. “I was just checking on you, you were talking in your sleep.”

Ron blinked sleepily. “I was?” He looked down at their entwined bodies. “I must have said something pretty spectacular. What time is it?” He peered around the dark room absently. “Is it time to get up?”

Hermione pushed against Ron’s shoulders fruitlessly and wished passionately that she had chosen to fall for someone a little smaller, Colin Creevey say. “No, you’ve only just gone to sleep. I’ll go back to my room now that I know you’re ok.”

“Ok.” Ron shifted as though he was going to let her up and then moved back. “What were you doing here anyway?” Even through the darkness Hermione could see his worried frown. “Was I screaming again?”

“What? No!” Hermione paused in her efforts to push him off her. “Screaming?”

Ron squirmed uncomfortably, incidentally getting his leg every intimately acquainted with the wide-eyed Hermione’s inner thighs and muttered defensively. “I have nightmares some nights.” He shrugged irritably as Hermione’s mouth dropped open. “Well, after some of the things we’ve seen…”

“Me too.” Hermione blurted out what had previously only been confessed to Dawn and Ginny. “Me too. I didn’t want to sleep alone tonight so I came in to see if I could sleep in Harry’s bed for the night.” She felt a fiery blush start. “Then you started talking and I…tripped.”

Ron eyed her shadowed face uneasily. “What did I say?” The pause between Hermione explaining that he had started talking to her and how she had ended up in his bed was just a little too long for his liking. “Was it embarrassing?”

“No, of course not!” Hermione decided that discretion was the better part of valour, or bold face lying, if you prefer, and said earnestly. “I didn’t hear most of it. You mumbled.”

Ron eyed the shadow of her head against the white of his pillow. “I did?”

Hermione nodded. “Yes. I’ll go now. See you in the morning.” She kicked at the covers that had managed to tangle around her legs. “Sorry, I’m going now…”

The information that his lower body was entwined pretty intimately with Hermione’s finally hit Ron’s sleep addled brain, with the knowledge that they were all alone for the first time in months hot on its heels. He took two seconds to think about his next move and then gave an elaborately casual yawn. “No need for that, Herm.” Still keeping one of his legs draped over hers Ron reached down and yanked the covers over the both of them. The arm that was curled under Hermione’s shoulders moved and Hermione found herself being turned to face Ron’s chest as he settled back down against the pillows. The echo of Ron’s voice rumbled under her cheek as he shifted his legs and snuggled her more comfortably against him. “It’ll be morning soon; you may as well stay here.”

Hermione held her body in a rigid line and said urgently, “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ron.”

Ron thought it was a bloody marvellous idea and grinned above Hermione’s head at the bed canopy. He answered her in a sleepy voice. “Don’t be daft, Herm. It’s just me. Go to sleep.” His hand moved from her shoulder and began to rub in slow circles on her back. “It’s just me.”

Which was kind of the problem, Hermione reflected. She wouldn’t give it much more thought if it had been Harry, or even Connor, but the fact that it was Ron that was holding her in the darkness and warmth of his bed took her problems to a whole new level of wrongness. And it wasn’t helping her to relax that she felt the touch of his fingers against the small of her back as his gentle caresses slowly rucked up her jammie top.

Ron, on the other hand, was quite enjoying it.

Hermione wriggled in protest. “Ron…” She gasped as she swore she felt his lips brush over her head. “What are you doing?” Her heart pounded in her chest as his other hand began to stroke through her hair. “Ron?”

“Ssh.” Ron breathed in the scent of Hermione’s freshly washed hair and smiled as he felt the smallest loosening of her body as his touch and the warmth of the covers began to affect her.

Hermione had never felt less like sleep in her life. Her body was nearly vibrating with longing as Ron’s hands stroked and touched her and she was astonished to realise that one of her own hands was moving softly over the skin of his bare chest. She was even more astonished when Ron shivered under the touch of her fingers and pulled her closer.

“Mmm, that feels nice, Hermione.” Ron pulled her up his body until they were nose to nose. The faint light from the moon caught his eyes as he looked seriously into hers. “I want to kiss you now. Are you alright with that?”

Hermione stared back. “Why?”

Ron smoothed a strand of her hair back from her face and grinned at her. “Because if I don’t I might explode.” He nuzzled the side of her face and whispered roughly, “Because I’ve fancied you for months and I thought this would never happen. I didn’t think you thought of me like that.”

“Believe me, it was a shock to me too.” Hermione’s dry tone belied her amazement that she was lying in the arms of one of her best friends and he was asking to kiss her. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship though.”

Ron snorted. “Hermione, the chances are we’re all going to die trying to finish Voldemort. If both of us are left standing at the end of all this, can we worry about ruining our friendship then?” He smiled shyly. “I absolutely promise not to stop being your friend in the meantime.”

Hermione leaned backwards as he moved in for a kiss and laughed nervously at his growl of frustration. “Ron, I’m not sure I’m ready…”

Ron’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline, “Whoa, steady on there, Herm! I’m just talking about a snog and maybe a bit of hand holding; what are you thinking about?” He gave her a virtuous look. “What kind of a boy do you think I am?”

Hermione exploded with giggles at his innocent expression and buried her head in the curve of his neck.

Ron grinned and squeezed her tightly. “I’m not after anything tonight except to hold you and sleep.” He kissed the top of her head. “If you want to give me a goodnight kiss I’m not going to fight you off but that’s as far as it goes, alright?” He eyed her as she raised her head and smiled at him. “I want to get this right.”

“Ok.” Hermione nodded. “We’ll get it right.” She leaned forward and nervously pressed her lips to his. “How was that?”

“Not bad.” Ron cupped her skull and pulled her closer. “But I think we need to practice. You game?”

Hermione shivered as his breath feathered across her cheek and closed her eyes as he nibbled at her chin in a move he shamelessly borrowed from Connor. “Definitely.” She slipped her arms up around his neck and began to stroke his hair. “We need to get this absolutely perfect.”

Ron’s eyes crossed as she began to kiss his neck. “You do know that there isn’t going to be an exam at the end of this right?” His mouth dried as she brushed soft kisses up across his face. “It doesn’t count towards your final marks.”

Hermione smirked in a very un-Hermione like way. “That’s what you think. Pucker up, Weasley, there’ll be questions asked at the end.”

Happy sparks bounced in Ron’s stomach as their lips met and lingered. He broke the kiss with a gasp and rolled them slowly until he lay looking down at Hermione. “That’s ok. I’m great at the practical stuff.”

Hermione smiled. “Prove it.” And sparks went off in her own stomach as he did.


	19. Chapter Seventeen

Ginny opened her eyes with a groan and stared in confusion at the white ceiling above her. Her scar throbbed on her face and her entire body seemed like one big bruise, but seeing as the last thing she remembered was staring up at Lord Voldemort she was more surprised to find herself alive than concerned with any injuries. She turned her head to the side as she heard a whispered murmur and saw Harry lying beside her in a hospital bed. “Ha…Harry?” Ginny rolled painfully onto her side and whispered urgently. “Harry? Are you awake?” A quick, nervous look around her did nothing to suppress the feeling of rising panic as Ginny recognised the all too familiar sight of the Hogwarts medical wing. “Harry!”

“Miss Weasley.” Ginny fell back against her pillows with a muffled yelp as Madam Pomfrey walked quickly towards her. “You are quite safe, do not be alarmed.” The matron laid a cool hand against Ginny’s forehead and then reached into her pocket for her ever-present bar of emergency chocolate. “Now, a quick bite of this and back to sleep for you.”

“Wh…mmmphf!” Ginny choked as the old woman shoved a huge chunk of chocolate into her mouth as she tried to ask what was going on. She was fairly sure that unless she’d gone completely mad, the last time she had seen her school it had been over the back of her broomstick as she had fled capture by the Ministry and assorted hangers on. Ginny chewed frantically and swallowed the mouthful of slightly bitter gunge hastily. “What’s happening? What are we doing here?” Madam Pomfrey looked down at the white hand gripping her arm urgently as the young girl whispered. “Madam, we can’t be here. The Minister…”

“The Minister has talked with Professor Dumbledore and the unfortunate situation you left this morning has been resolved. Please close your mouth, Miss Weasley.” Ginny’s jaw clicked together with a snap as Madam Pomfrey pushed her back against the pillows and shook her head in outrage. “I must say, I can’t imagine what the Aurors were thinking of, attacking innocent children like that. The Headmaster had some strong words for them, let me assure you!”

“Strong words…they tried to kill us!” Ginny’s face flushed with anger as she glared up at the matron. “They were with Lucius Malfoy and they tried to kill us!”

“Nonsense.” The old woman clicked her tongue disapprovingly and patted Ginny on top of the head. “They were merely trying to detain you for questioning although they were jolly heavy handed about it. Now, you obviously need your rest. I shall wake you for breakfast.”

“You bloody won’t!” Ginny made a grab and caught Madam Pomfrey’s apron strings, yanking her back to her bedside. “You’ll tell me what’s going on. What’s wrong with Harry? Where’s my brother?”

“Miss Weasley…” The look of anger and surprise on the nurse’s face did nothing to squash Ginny’s attitude and she kept a fierce grip on the woman’s clothes as she hauled herself up on the bed.

“Don’t you ‘Miss Weasley’ me. I’ve been under attack from every side for what feels like the last week and I am not going to sit here like some…some…damsel while you go on about your business. Where. Is. My. Brother?” Ginny’s face twisted in a furious scowl. “If you don’t tell me I am going to make you very sorry.”

“That’s the spirit, Weasel.” The faint comment was barely above a whisper, but Ginny’s head snapped round like it had been bellowed into her ear.

“Malfoy?” Ginny stared at the occupant of the bed on her other side. “Is that you?”

“Sadly, yes.” Draco’s eyes flickered to the side, but his head remained braced on his pillow by a large padded clamp that fitted on either side of his head. “I can’t see you…”

Ginny scrambled from her bed with a gasp and ignored Madam Pomfrey as the older woman tried to protest. “Merlin, you’re blind?” Ginny put her face close to Draco’s and peered into his silver eyes. “Can you see anything at all?”

Malfoy hid a grin as he managed to catch a glimpse down Ginny’s nightie when she bent over him in concern. “I can make out a shadow I think…come closer, I think I can nearly see your…”

“MR MALFOY!” Madam Pomfrey yanked Ginny back sharply and glowered at the unrepentant grin on the Slytherin’s face. “You are a prefect and I expect you to act like it! Miss Weasley, there is nothing wrong with Mr Malfoy’s eyesight. He cannot move his head as his spinal cord was shattered in the course of your earlier battle. We have had to remove it and he will be kept here for the next forty-eight hours under strictly controlled doses of Skelegrow as he grows his new one.”

Ginny glared at Draco and spat. “I wasn’t aware he had a spine to lose in the first place.”

“Ouch!” Draco’s grin widened. “That hurt.”

“That’s enough. This is a sick room and you two will act accordingly. Miss Weasley, back into bed this instant.” Madam Pomfrey held up a warning hand. “Since Mr Malfoy is awake he can tell you all that you need to know, it will help to take his mind off the pain. I have other patients requiring my care. Into bed.”

Ginny hesitated for a moment and then reluctantly climbed back into bed. Madam Pomfrey whipped out her wand, murmured a charm and Ginny’s bed moved sideways towards Malfoy until the two bed frames touched with a small clang of iron. The nurse put away her wand in her pocket with a sniff. “Please keep your voices down. When you go to sleep the beds will return to their original positions.”

Draco managed a very credible leer in Ginny’s direction. “Is there any chance we could have the curtains drawn for some privacy…” His eyes widened as Madam Pomfrey leaned over him and silently dared him to finish his sentence. “Never mind.”

Ginny waited until Madam Pomfrey had bustled off with a final glare and then sat up and moved into Malfoy’s line of vision. “What the bloody hell is going on? What are we doing back at Hogwarts?”

Draco eyed her body, outlined most delightfully in her white gown against the glow of a lamp on the opposite wall and decided; all in all, having your spine removed and re-grown wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. “Do you want the long or the short version?”

Ginny began to fiddle uneasily with the ends of her hair. “Just tell me what happened.”

“Right.” Draco took a deep breath. “Connor got hit with the Imperio curse by the Dark Lord and tried to kill Dawn. She had to stab him to stop it. Some muggle friend of hers got struck by the killing curse rushing to the rescue and about the same time your brother decided to save my life by crushing my spine.” He took another breath and plunged on. “Connor shot Potter with a crossbow before he attacked Dawn and hit a lung or something. There’s a muggle woman down the other end of the room who’s pregnant and may lose her baby and her husband was sucked into one of Dawn’s portals and no one knows where he is now. Your brother and Granger have been sent to your dorm and Dawn’s somewhere with Snape from what I can make out.” He squinted thoughtfully at the ceiling. “I think that’s about it. Oh, apart from you. You passed out when one of you-know-who’s followers hit you with a curse and did something to your scar.”

Ginny stared at the cool face on the pillow in dry-mouthed horror. “What?”

“Your scar.” Draco looked at her. “You were screaming your head off when they brought you in.”

Ginny shook her head. “No, about the others, tell me again. Slowly.”

Draco rolled his eyes but obliged her and when he had finished Ginny sat with her hands clasped over her mouth in dismay. “And I’m sorry for the other night.” Malfoy’s eyes were fixed firmly on the ceiling as he rushed the last sentence out, and he waited for Ginny to speak.

“Are they going to be alright?” Ginny bit her lip and glanced back at Harry. “They’re not going to…die, are they?”

Draco blinked. “What? Oh, no, they’ll be fine.” He felt the first stirrings of annoyance in him. “Did you hear me? I said I was sorry for what happened the other night. In my common room.”

Ginny stared at him in confusion. “Yes, I heard you. So? I think there’s more important things that have happened since then, don’t you?” She craned her neck and tried to peer up towards Connor’s curtained off bed. “Do you think I could see him for a minute?”

“I’m apologising here!” Malfoy wished with all his heart that his spine would grow a bit quicker, instead of leaving him lying helpless on the bed like a sack full of jelly. “I think the unconscious people who have no hope of waking until morning can wait another few minutes.”

Ginny looked at him in pitying reproach. “They’re my friends and I love them. They can’t wait.” She hopped off her bed and hissed at the little blast of pain from her scar. “I’m going up to Connor, I’ll be right back.” Silently she slipped up the ward, determinedly not looking at the other beds, all occupied with sleeping casualties and stopped by the curtains that hid Connor. Ginny peeped around the corner of the curtains and saw Madam Pomfrey engaged in a quiet discussion with another white gowned figure, oblivious to Ginny’s whereabouts. Ginny eased back and took hold of the white curtain and then with a final glance to make sure the coast was clear, slipped inside.

Connor lay on his cot, pale-faced against the pillows, and a bandage wrapped tightly around his chest. Ginny frowned as she saw his wrists were secured to either side of the narrow bed, immobilising him completely, and that similar restraints held his feet and legs at the bottom of the bed. “Connor?” Ginny jumped at the loudness of her own voice and moved closer to her friend. “Connor, can you hear me?” She reached out with one hesitant hand and laid it on the cool skin of his arm. “It’s me, Ginny.”

“I’m afraid Mr Angel is incapable of answering you, Ginny.” Ginny jumped a foot in the air with a muffled scream at the quiet comment behind her. Albus Dumbledore smiled gently at the young girl and held out a blanket. “Here, the nights are quite chilly now.”

Ginny flushed guiltily and took the blanket to throw it around her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Professor. I know I shouldn’t be here, but I just wanted to see him.”

“Of course you did, my dear.” Dumbledore patted Ginny on her shoulder absently and joined her at Connor’s bedside to look soberly down at the still face. “Quite natural. We have broken the curse on Mr Angel, the restraints are merely a precaution.” The old man gave a gentle sigh. “He grew quite restless when the curse was lifted and we feared he would do more damage to his wound.”

Ginny chewed her lip. “He will be alright, won’t he Professor?”

“I do hope so, Ginny, I do hope so.” The Headmaster folded his hands before him sighed heavily. “There is a sedated vampire in the next wing who would be most annoyed if he were not.”

“Where’s Dawn?” Ginny laid her hand over Connor’s and squeezed the warm flesh tightly. “Malfoy said she had been hurt and that Professor Snape…”

“Miss Summers is fine. She sustained a wound to her shoulder, but she has been treated and is indeed under the care of Professor Snape for tonight.” Dumbledore paused as though he was waiting for an objection, but Ginny only nodded and waited for him to continue. “You are not surprised at my choice of guardian?”

Ginny shook her head. “I know Dawn pretty well. She needs hard facts and truth at the moment, not well-meaning words and coddling.” Ginny squeezed Connor’s hand again. “She’ll be devastated and inconsolable over Connor…” A small smile ghosted her mouth. “Somehow I can’t see Professor Snape being a secret coddler and consoler, he’ll give her what she needs.”

Tiny lines of worry and strain eased around the Headmaster’s eyes and he smiled almost gratefully. “Exactly. Its reassuring to have someone that knows Dawn well agree with my decision.”

“What about her sister? What’s happened to Dawn’s family?” Ginny brushed a lock of hair carefully from Connor’s face and adjusted the lie of his blankets. “Are they staying with Ron and Hermione in our house tonight?”

“No.” Dumbledore watched as Ginny made Connor more comfortable and smiled at the small redhead moving busily around her fallen friend. “I’m afraid they were quite naturally distressed when we brought them here. Madam Pomfrey thought it was best that they rest for a few hours, particularly after the elder Miss Summers attacked two Aurors when they attempted to take her sister from her, and we have stupefied them all in a small room along the hall.” He clasped his hands behind his back and peered over his glasses at Ginny as she finally stopped fiddling with Connor’s bed and looked up at him. “Now, I believe we should you back to bed before Madam Pomfrey realises you are here and decides that she will stupefy both of us. Follow me.”

Ginny was hard pressed to stifle a giggle as the most respected wizard of her time poked his head through the curtain and looked in guilty fear towards Madam Pomfrey’s desk. A bony finger crooked at Ginny to signal the coast was clear and the girl squeezed Connor’s hand once more in goodbye before following the tiptoeing Dumbledore out onto the main ward. They moved quickly and quietly back down the room and Ginny hopped back onto her bed quickly with a quick wink at Malfoy.

Draco was still sulking about his knocked back apology and merely scowled as Ginny flashed past him in an orange and white blur to dive under her covers. Professor Dumbledore smiled as Ginny pulled the covers up to her chin and then moved to Draco’s side. “How are you, Mr Malfoy?”

Draco gave a curt smile. “I’ve been better, sir.”

“Quite so, quite so.” Dumbledore patted Malfoy’s head paternally and earned himself a fierce glare before continuing. “Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?”

“Well, having my original spine back might be quite useful and perhaps being able to spend the night in the comfort of my own room, but aside from that I can’t think of anything, Professor.” Draco’s voice dripped with sarcasm and his face clouded with annoyance when Professor Dumbledore smiled at him delightedly.

“Well, I can see a little discomfort is doing nothing to crush your remarkable spirit. Perhaps I could arrange to have a box of Bott’s beans delivered to you in the morning. I understand they have a remarkable effect on sick children.” The headmaster ignored the outraged look on Malfoy’s face on being called a child and nodded to Ginny. “Well, I believe you both need some rest. I’ll look in on you in the morning.” He gave them both a casual wave and walked out of the infirmary.

Draco scowled at the ceiling. “Crack-pot old fool.”

Ginny cuddled under her blankets and wished with all her heart she was back in her comfortable, familiar dormitory. “Shut up, Malfoy. Go to sleep.”

There was silence for a while before Draco cleared his throat and whispered. “Ginny, are you awake?”

Ginny who had been busy soaking her pillow with silent tears decided that as her bed was still pressed up against his it would be pointless to pretend she was, sniffed and snapped. “What is it, Malfoy?”

Draco clenched his teeth to stop the vicious remark he wanted to make and instead whispered. “The muggle, Connor, is he going to be alright?”

Ginny rolled over and stared at Draco’s face, hidden by his clamp and the dim light. “What do you care?”

“Did I say I cared?” Draco tried for his customary sneer but the pain from his re-growing spine and residual shock from the night was finally catching up with him and he merely sounded exhausted. “I just wondered whether he was still breathing.”

Ginny paused for a moment and then said. “Yes. He’s still breathing.”

There was another silence and then Draco said quietly. “Is he going to be alright?”

Ginny’s eyes grew hot and moist again and more tears began to slip down her tired face. “I don’t know.” She laid her suddenly aching head onto her damp pillow. “Good night, Malfoy.”

Draco blinked as his own eyes blurred and told himself it was tiredness affecting his vision. “Goodnight, Weasley.” He tried to swallow the burning feeling in his throat and lay staring at the ceiling until dawn’s early light began to filter through the windows and he fell into an uneasy doze.

  
  


* * *

The next morning dawned quietly. Dawn woke in the Slytherin guest quarters and stared at the ceiling above her for long moments before the events of the previous few days came back with an almighty rush. She sat bolt upright in the bed, gasping as her shoulder gave a protesting twinge. “Connor!” Her feet hit the floor with a slap as she jumped out of bed and ran for the door of the bedroom. “Connor…” She stopped with a gasp as Professor Snape appeared in all his greasy haired glory in the doorway.

“Miss Summers.” Snape gave a pained grimace and turned to look into the sitting room where he had spent a very uncomfortable night. “Please put on some clothes.”

Dawn looked down at her borrowed nightdress. “What?” She frowned in confusion. “Why? I couldn’t get any more covered if I tried.” She grabbed the back of the professor’s robes and tugged impatiently. “Connor, is he ok? Is he… Did he…”

Snape batted her hands away from him with a sharp slap and drew his robes tightly around himself to prevent further yanking. “The muggle is fine. He is still resting comfortably.” He kept his eyes firmly fixed on the ceiling as he growled. “Would you please dress yourself in something more suitable.”

Dawn sagged with relief and closed her eyes for a moment then tensed up again. “And the others? Are they ok? Can I see them?”

“All fine. Will you please shut this door and get into your robes?” Professor Snape sniffed in disgust. “And a hot bath might also be beneficial.”

Dawn scowled. “Well, excuse me, it’s a little hard to stay springtime fresh when people keep trying to kill you.” She sniffed at herself and nearly staggered at the undeniably pungent odour of her body. “You got a shower down here?”

“Madam Pomfrey did ask that you kept your dressings dry.” Professor Snape risked a quick glance over his shoulder and saw Dawn peeling bits of dried blood and other unidentifiable things from her stained hands and arms. “Stop that! I will draw you a bath and you will be able to bathe without irritating your wound further.”

Dawn looked up and shook her head. “A shower’s quicker. Trust me, I’m well on the way to being healed. It’s a Summers thing.” She turned towards the bed and then paused without looking back. “Thank you.”

As unused to accepting thanks as Dawn was to offering them to him, Snipe froze in surprise at the low words and then forgot his uneasiness with her state of undress and turned to face her. “Pardon?”

“For last night.” Dawn twisted the material of the nightgown between her fingers and slowly turned to face the much older man. “I can’t have been easy to deal with and I just want you to know I appreciate you helping me.”

Snape blinked and sneered. “I did what I did for Professor Dumbledore, young lady…” His eyes bulged in annoyance as Dawn waved a hand and interrupted him.

“Whatever. You were very…” A trace of her old cocky grin flashed over her face. “I want to say kind but we both know I’d be lying, you walloped me but good.” Dawn touched the fresh bruise on her face and finished. “I didn’t think I could survive that kind of pain twice in a lifetime but you helped me do that, for whatever reason, and I owe you.”

Snape covered his confusion at her obviously sincere words by raising an eyebrow questioningly. “Twice? You’ve attempted to kill Mr Angel before?”

Dawn flinched slightly and then shook her head. “Not Connor. Buffy, my sister, died because of me once before and the thought of…” She swallowed several times as she tried to finish her sentence and then shook her head helplessly. “You helped me deal.”

An uncomfortable silence fell between them for a few moments before Snape gave a brusque nod. “Very well.” He cleared his throat. “The bathroom is through there.” He gestured to a door on the right. “The house-elves should have left you fresh clothes. I will send to the kitchens for a light breakfast and then take you to your friends.”

“Thank you.” Dawn moved quickly to the bathroom. “I’ll be ready to go in five minutes.”

“I highly doubt it.” Snipe sniffed as he turned away. “Despite all blood-soaked evidence to contrary, you are a female after all.”

  
  


* * *

Twenty minutes later Dawn and Professor Snape turned into the corridor leading to the Infirmary and saw Ron and Hermione just heading into the hospital door. “Hermione, Ron!” Dawn ran forwards and waved. “Wait up!”

The two British teenagers hurriedly dropped each other’s hands and watched their friend run up. Dawn stopped inches away and looked them over anxiously. “Are you guys, ok?”

Ron nodded and winced as he took in her technicolour face. “Yeah, you?” He touched a particularly impressive bruise on her jaw and shook his head. “You should get that looked at.”

Dawn gestured to Professor Snape stalking up behind her. “Batguy already looked me over before we headed out.” At the horrified looks on Ron and Hermione’s faces she waved her hands frantically. “Not, like, all over. Just above the neck. Strictly skin for public viewing only. PG13.”

“When you’ve quite finished, Summers.” Snape pulled his robes tightly around himself and glared in disgust at the three battle-marked teenagers, although he didn’t quite match the look of sheer revulsion on Ron’s face at the idea of Dawn being checked over by the potions master. “I do have considerably more important things to do this morning than stand around and watch you and your friends indulge in your juvenile conversations.”

Dawn rolled her eyes and winked at Hermione. “Gotcha. You guys ready?” The other two nodded and Dawn took a deep breath as she pushed open the door. “Then let’s do this.”

The hospital wing was silent when they entered, weak winter sunlight streaming through the high windows shone on the floor, and even the pictures around the wall were quiet as they moved from frame to frame along the walls and kept watch over the injured. Two Aurors stood like matching bookends just inside the door, but at a nod from Snape they moved aside and let the three friends enter. Ron found himself in the middle of the two girls as they crowded closer to him and each slipped a hand into his. He squeezed lightly as they tiptoed forward and looked around themselves for their friends.

A flash of red hair caught Ron’s eye and he turned to see his sister struggling up in bed and waving an arm sleepily. “There’s Ginny.” He strode across the floor with Dawn and Hermione in tow and grinned in relief at his sister. “You’re ok.”

Ginny smiled at the two girls as Ron gathered her carefully in his arms and hugged her gratefully. “Just about. How are you three? Did you manage to get any sleep last night?”

Fortunately Dawn was too focused on Ginny to notice the identical flood of colour that stained Ron and Hermione’s cheeks at the mention of the previous night. Hermione deliberately turned from Ginny and studied the other occupants of the room as she avoided her friend’s eyes. Dawn shrugged. “I kinda lost it. I stayed with Snape.”

Ginny nodded and patted Ron’s arms to get him to let her go. “Professor Dumbledore told me. You ok now?”

Dawn looked anxiously towards where she had last seen her boyfriend. “I will be as soon as I see Connor. Have you heard how he is?”

Ginny shook her head as she leaned back on her pillows and gestured to the bed next to her. “Not since last night. I’ve had to keep Malfoy company.”

“Oh, finally remembered me have you?” Draco’s voice dripped with bitter contempt. “Please, don’t let the man with no spine affect your touching reunion.”

“Malfoy.” Ron’s face flooded with guilty colour again, although sadly for less pleasurable reasons than before, as he belatedly realised who occupied the bed next to Ginny. “Are you alright?”

“Why does everyone persist in asking that damn fool question? I’ve had my spine removed, what do you think?” Looking extremely annoyed Draco nearly went cross-eyed as he tried to include Ron, Hermione and Dawn in his bitter look without moving his head. “I’ve had to piss in a funnel, twice, and I’ve had to endure a bed bath from someone who is old enough to be my ancestor several times over. My male ancestor. I loathe and despise the lot of you.”

Hermione blinked in surprise at the flood of genuine relief she felt at the familiar sneering voice. “He’s ok.”

Ron coughed awkwardly and moved to Draco’s bedside as he said in a low voice. “I’m sorry for what happened. I just reacted and, well…” He gestured weakly at Malfoy lying immobile on the bed. “I never wanted this to happen.”

Malfoy eyed Ron for a long moment. “I know. You saved my life. I’m not sure what’s worse, lying here like a helpless sack of blood or owing a Weasley a life-debt, but for what it’s worth…thank you.” Looking deeply uncomfortable the boys held each other’s gaze for a moment before Malfoy finished snarkily. “At least I didn’t end up like that muggle. No spine is better than no heartbeat I suppose.”

“Draco…” Ginny hissed angrily in Malfoy’s direction and looked worriedly at Dawn. “Show some respect, Dawn’s standing right here.”

“What?” Dawn looked from one uncomfortable face in confusion as she felt her heart speed up with fear. “You said Connor was fine…”

Hermione caught Dawn’s arm as she turned away from Ginny’s bedside and started towards the curtained cubicle at the other end of the ward that hid Connor. “Dawn, calm down, I’m sure he is. Malfoy wasn’t talking about Connor.” She bit her lip at Dawn’s worried look. “Oh Merlin, you don’t know.”

“Know what?” Dawn’s heart was slamming with fear against her ribs and she began to tremble in Hermione’s grip. “What don’t I know?”

“Dawn…” The new voice had the tense group breaking apart and staring at Buffy, Spike and Kit who had arrived silently behind them. “Dawn, sweetie…”

Kit stepped forward and hugged Dawn as Buffy’s voice faltered. She stepped back but took both of Dawn’s hands in her own. “They’re talking about Carlos.” The goth girl’s face was white with strain and grief and her eyes, already sore from weeping, filled with tears. “He died in the battle.”

Dawn shook her head. “No, I saw him, he was fine…” Her voice faded as she remembered a flash of light and a scream as Connor reared over her. “Oh God, no…”

Kit squeezed Dawn’s hands tightly. “I’m sorry.” She looked round as Spike came up beside the two girls and slipped his arms around their shoulders. “We brought his body with us…in case…we didn’t…”

Spike pulled Kit against his chest and hugged her tightly as he looked into Dawn’s stricken face. “We didn’t want to leave him all alone in the street, like.” Tears began to spill down Dawn’s battered face and Spike pulled her close. “Ssh, Nibblet, I’m ‘ere now. I’ll look after you, pet.” He swayed gently as he cuddled the two sobbing girls. “It’ll be alright.”

Buffy joined him with a sober face and drew a tender hand down Dawn’s hair. “We’re here now, honey.” She rubbed Kit’s back as the girl shuddered against Buffy’s mate. “We’re all here for you now.”

  
  


* * *

Ron sat next to Hermione in the room that had been allocated to the visitors from America and watched Dawn as she sat slouched between Willow and Kit, staring at the floor. From the moment he had met her, she had always seemed so full of life and fire, but now, without Connor and after the loss of Carlos, she seemed somehow blurred as though she was out of focus with the rest of the world. Her body, which always seemed so strong and practically vibrating with purpose and energy, looked smaller and weaker, as though the life force animating it had been weakened in some small but vital way over the previous few hours.

Ron glanced up as the door opened and Buffy stalked angrily through it. “They won’t let me see Anya.” If Dawn looked like she was slowly diminishing under the horrendous pressure of death and the wounded, then Buffy was almost glowing with energy and purpose. Her hazel eyes were sparking furiously as she slammed the door shut behind her and her hair seemed to crackle with golden fire around her set face. “They say she’s still unconscious but that’s all they can tell me. Goddamit!” She whirled and punched the solid stone wall behind her, sending Fred and Gunn who were seated silently nearby scrambling for safety as sharp pieces of stone and dust exploded over their heads. Buffy glanced down. “Sorry, guys. Giles, I feel the need to kick some serious ass here.”

Giles, seated comfortably in a deep armchair and looking much recovered after a night in the hospital wing under intensive magical care, nodded as he eyed his slayer. “I know, Buffy, and I appreciate your feelings but I do feel…”

“Unless that sentence is gonna end with ‘you and Willow should go out and get ready with a slay happy Wicca smackdown on Dumbledore’s ass’ then I’d save your breath, Giles.” Buffy placed her hands on her hips and glared. “I am so past waiting and seeing.”

“I’m with Buffy.” Willow looked up from where she was stroking Dawn’s arm soothingly. “This has gone way past us following their lead. Things are out of hand. We need to start looking for Xander, Carlos needs to be…taken care of.” She flicked an unhappy look at Dawn and Kit beside her and then continued. “We still haven’t heard from Angel or Cordelia about Connor and no one will tell us anything about Harry.”

Wesley stood up from the bed he was perched on. “I’m as concerned as all of you but…”

“Belt up, Giles 2.” Spike shoved away from the wall he was leaning on and flicked his fag butt on the floor. One heavy boot stomped on the glowing end and he glared around the room. “I sent my girl here thinkin’ she’d be safe. The next time I bloody clap eyes on her she’s covered in bleedin’ bruises and fightin’ for her life.” He jerked a thumb at the silent Dawn and Kit. “Another one of my kids died last night an’ I don’t give a flyin’ fuck about those soddin’ wizards and their feelin’s. I’m goin’ to find out that poofy head wizard and find out what the bleedin’ hell’s goin’ on. He can’t bloody hide forever.”

Buffy jerked her head at Willow as she turned to follow Spike from the room. “Will, power up.” The red head nodded and with a final pat on Dawn’s arm jumped to her feet. She had barely taken three steps from the sofa when the door to the room suddenly opened and a bed was pushed clumsily into the room.

“Bloody hell, Potter, have a bloody care would you?” Malfoy glared impotently at the ceiling as his bed bounced off the doorframe. “I am trying to grow a spine here, you know. I would quite like it to be as straight as the last one.”

Harry ground his teeth and managed to manoeuvre the bed through the gap with millimetres to spare on either side. “You try pushing your moaning arse around when you’ve just been shot with a bloody crossbolt and see how you do. Git.” He kicked the door shut behind him and leaned on the head of Malfoy’s bed, gasping for breath and an unhealthy green colour. “Alright everyone?”

“Harry!” Hermione jumped to her feet and brushed past the surprised Slayer to rush to his side. “Are you alright?”

Harry winced as she hugged him but managed a smile and a wave to the other occupants of the room. “A bit weak and feeble, but...”

On the bed Draco sniffed. “No change there then.”

Harry reached down and slapped Malfoy’s clamped head. “Shut it.”

Ron joined Harry and Hermione, face glowing with relief. “Thank Merlin, we couldn’t find you and no one would tell us where you were. Ginny was beside herself when she realised you’d been moved in the night.”

Harry swayed slightly and smiled gratefully as his two best friends hurriedly escorted him to the nearest chair. He sat wheezing for a few moments before nodding to himself and saying breathlessly. “S’ok, they moved me to Madam Pomfrey’s room. My lung collapsed and they were working on me all night.” He thumped his chest and then doubled over when he knocked all the air out of his fragile lungs. “Good as new now though.”

Malfoy rolled his eyes at the ceiling. “Oh yes, you’re a regular hero. It’s taken us nearly half an hour to make it fifty yards down the corridor.”

Ron looked at the hospital bed, and its annoyed occupant, and then back at the still gasping Harry. “Why did you bring him, and how on earth did you manage to sneak him and the bed down here?”

Harry scowled. “When I got back to the ward and Ginny told me where you all were I decided to sneak out and come and find you. I got half way off the bed when face-ache here decided he wanted to come along for a change of scenery and threatened to yell his head off if I didn’t bring him. I found my wand in the bedside cabinet, cast a disguising charm and here we are.” Harry leaned back against his chair and muttered resentfully. “Change of scenery, my arse. You’ve seen one ceiling; you’ve seen ‘em all. I have no idea what he’s playing at.”

“That’s right, mock the cripple.” Malfoy glared impotently at the ceiling. “You just wait until I’m back on my feet, Potter, I’ll make you…OW!” The bed shot forward several feet as the door was shoved open behind it and Draco was given a nasty jolt. “Watch it!”

Ginny Weasley appeared out of mid-air and glanced absently at Malfoy as she hurried into the room, folding Harry’s invisibility cloak over her arm. “Stop bloody lurking behind the door, Malfoy. Harry, it’s all quiet.”

Ignoring the outraged spluttering from the hospital bed, Harry nodded. “Right. Give us a hand, Ron.” Sweat sprang out all over his face as he was pulled to his feet, but Harry’s voice was firm as his eyes found Dawn. “Connor’s still in the ward. The curtains are drawn around the bed and Ginny’s been keeping watch under my cloak since she got discharged an hour ago. The only ones with him are his mum and dad. Take the cloak and be quick.”

Dawn’s eyes widened as she stared at her friend. “What?”

“Dawn, I’m going to keel over any minute, take the bloody cloak and go and see Connor!” Harry’s voice shook with strain and urgency, but still rang with authority. “Hurry!”

A helpful shove from Kit had Dawn on her feet and reaching to take the cloak from Ginny. “Harry, what Connor did, that wasn’t him, he…”

“Oh for Merlin’s sake, I know that!” Harry gripped Ron’s arm tightly as he watched Dawn draw the cloak around her shoulders until only her head was visible. “We’ll talk about it when you get back. Go!”

Dawn’s face filled with wordless gratitude and she drew the hood over her head, disappearing from sight. Spike and the others looked around frantically as they heard her footsteps and then the door opened and shut and they were alone with Dawn’s friends. Harry’s legs buckled. “Finally, I thought she’d never go.” He collapsed back into his chair and looked around the silent room. “Ok, will someone please tell me what the bloody hell is going on and why we’re back at school and nobody’s trying to kill us this time?”

“Ah, all excellent questions.” Giles took off his glasses and began to polish the lenses.

Spike rolled his eyes and interrupted scathingly. “Means he hasn’t got a clue, right Watcher?”

“No, not at all…” Giles flushed angrily under the sceptical looks from his younger colleagues and shoved his glasses back on his nose. “Fine, no, I haven’t got the foggiest. Happy now?”

Spike nodded in knowing resignation at the room. “Told ya.”

  
  
  


* * *

Dawn stopped outside Connor’s cubicle and listened warily for voices inside. Whoever was in there was speaking in low murmurs, too faint to hear, but she was positive that she could pick up at least two different male tones from the mix. She glanced behind her at the ward and saw that most of the medical staff were busy tending to their other patients. There was a gap between one side of the curtained cubicle and the wall and rather than part the curtains in the proper place and risk instant exposure, Dawn crept silently to the gap and held her breath as she stepped through.

Angel and Cordelia stood holding hands on the opposite side of the bed to where Dawn found herself, with a man she didn’t know almost directly in front of her and the Minister for Magic standing at the foot of the bed. Dawn’s lip curled in a snarl and she took a step towards the unfortunate Mr Fudge before she remembered she was there incognito. Her attention was drawn to the bed as Cordelia reached down and she watched as Connor’s hair was smoothed back gently from his forehead. Moving quietly around the unknown man, Dawn pressed close to the bed and stared down at Connor’s unconscious face.

He looked pale but peaceful against the pillows, a white bandage wrapped around his otherwise naked torso, and his chest and upper neck were a lively pattern of bruises courtesy of spending the last few days fighting for his life and having a metal bar shoved through his body. Dawn bit her lip as she looked at him and nearly crumpled with relief as she watched his chest rise and fall steadily and saw the proof of life beating steadily at his throat.

Angel’s head came up sharply suddenly and he looked around the small cubicle piercingly. Dawn froze as he sniffed at the air and then looked straight at her. “Mr Fudge, Mr Babity, my mate and I would like to be alone with our son now.”

Cordelia looked startled at Angel’s firm order but at a gentle squeeze of her arm stayed silent and watched as the two men nodded and the left the cubicle. “Angel, what…” Angel put his hand gently over Cordy’s mouth and shook his head at her as he listened intently to the sound of the two men walking away. When he was apparently satisfied that they could not be overheard, he released Cordelia and she slapped irritably at his arm. “What the hell was that about?”

Angel looked back at where Dawn stood. “You can come out now.”

“What?” Cordelia looked around in confusion. “Who can come ou…Holy crap, Dawn!”

Dawn smiled warily as she dropped the hood of the invisibility cloak and her head appeared to hover in mid-air. “Hi guys.” She slowly took the rest of the cloak off. “I…I…”

“Oh, baby…” Cordelia moved hastily around the end of the bed and gathered Dawn into her arms. “Its ok, sweetie.”

Dawn hugged Cordelia tightly as she looked at Angel. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do it.”

Angel touched one broad finger to the back of Connor’s lax arm and shuddered before giving the distraught girl a reassuring smile. “I know. You had no choice. The headmaster told us what happened.” He sighed and looked blindly down at Connor. “They took the curse off.”

Dawn reached for Connor’s other hand and clutched it tightly. “I know, Professor Snape told me. Has he woken up yet?” Angel and Cordelia exchanged worried looks across the bed and Dawn felt a horribly familiar rush of fear. “What? He’s woken up, right?”

Cordelia slipped a comforting arm around Dawn’s shoulders. “Not exactly, honey. He got antsy when they took away the curse and they had to restrain him and stun him.” She battled back tears as she began to stroke Connor’s hair again. “He should have woken up this morning but…”

Angel clutched his son’s other hand and continued as Cordelia broke off. “Something’s wrong. He’s in no danger physically but they can’t make him wake up.” He made himself meet Dawn’s wide eyes. “They aren’t sure if he can. It might have been too much for his mind to take and…”

“No!” Dawn shook her head firmly. “Not Connor. We’ve practised with this curse. He’s in there, he just doesn’t want to wake up yet.”

Cordelia squeezed Dawn again. “That’s what we think, Dawn, we’re not giving up, I promise.” She took a deep breath. “But the wizarding guys think that the reality of the curse and the power behind it might have been more than he could take. He might not be able to come back.”

Dawn gripped Connor’s hand tightly and shook her head again. “No, not Connor. He’ll find a way back.” She raised his hand to her lips and pressed them hard against his skin. “He promised, when we go, we go together. He’ll come back for me.”

  
  
  
  


* * *

Over the next forty-eight hours even Dawn’s firm belief in Connor began to wane as the Scoobs, the Fang Gang and the remaining members of Durus Cateanus took turns in sitting around Connor’s bed and talking mindlessly to him in the hope he would wake up. During the quiet, grim days Malfoy was released from the hospital wing with his new backbone and took Dawn’s place under Professor Snape’s care as it was deemed unwise to send him back to his house. Anya and her baby were stabilised and the demon had managed to spend brief periods awake, but the pain and shock over Xander’s loss proved too much for her to cope with and Willow finally had given permission for her friend to be placed in a charmed healing sleep until the body and mind were both strong enough to cope with the harsh realities of her life.

Harry and Ginny had both thrown truly spectacular tantrums until Madam Pomfrey had been forced to release them from her care in favour of being able to devote her precious time to the other wounded and the casualties that were arriving at Hogwarts by the hour as all over Britain Voldemort struck at wizarding strongholds and families loyal to the Ministry and Professor Dumbledore. And as Harry had pointed out, they were only going to sneak out again if anyone did try to keep them confined to the infirmary.

On the evening of the third day of Connor’s coma, Dawn and Ginny had been forced away from his bedside to go and join Harry and the others in something to eat before returning to spend another few hours with Connor and then retiring to their dorm for the night. The two girls walked silently through the castle, everywhere they looked were tense, fearful faces and armed Aurors. An air of suppressed terror seemed to taint everything within the castle and the air itself was almost greasy with the fear and worry of thousands. Dawn shook her head as she watched a young witch pull her toddler out of their paths and huddle up against the wall. “Don’t they get we’re the good guys?”

Ginny glanced at the young mother disinterestedly. “Apparently not.”

Dawn sighed. “God, I wish this would all stop.” She raised an eyebrow as a young wizard marched around a corner, spotted the two young girls and then spun on his heel and marched briskly back in the direction he had come. “And that doesn’t help. If the Ministry think we’re safe enough to have around then I don’t see why they can’t issue a statement telling everyone else that!”

“What, actually do something constructive for a change? Our Ministry?” Ginny gave a bitter laugh. “In your dreams. Besides they haven’t actually filled us in on why we’re not public enemy number one anymore yet, never bloody mind the rest of the school!” She nodded to a trestle table that was set up just outside the Great Hall. “There’s the others.”

Dawn acknowledged her friends with a wave and followed Ginny as the redhead wove a quick path through the mass of temporary dining tables that now crowded the wide space outside the Great Hall, thanks to the legitimate dining area itself now housing refugees from Voldemort’s wrath. The two girls joined Harry, Ron, Hermione and Kit and peered uneasily at their nearly untouched plates. Ginny poked a pile of grey meat on Ron’s plate. “What’s that?”

Ron nudged the meat gingerly with his fork. “I don’t know, but I’m fairly sure it tried to bite back when I stuck my knife in it.”

Ginny edged away. “Oh. I think I’ll have the soup.”

Hermione gave up trying to beat her mashed potatoes in submission and pushed her plate away with a sigh. “Any news on Connor?”

Dawn accepted a goblet of water from Kit with a sigh and shook her head as she drained it and then held it out for a refill. “No. Still the same.”

Harry squeezed Dawn’s hand and smiled bracingly. “Don’t give up. We’ll get him back.” He caught a glimpse of a blond head slipping down the stairs behind Dawn’s shoulder and frowned. “Where’s Malfoy off to? I thought he was still meant to be keeping off his feet?”

Dawn glanced back over her shoulder. “He could probably use some air.” She rolled her head from side to side on her neck. “I know I could. It’s getting kinda ripe in here.”

“And the food sucks.” Ron looked dolefully at his plate and then pushed it away with a grunt. “Life sucks.”

“No argument here.” Dawn smiled at Kit. “How you holding up?”

Kit shrugged. “Apart from my mom having a meltdown that I’m now inexplicably in England, my best friend dying and being surrounded by people that hate me for being a normal human?” Dawn nodded. “Ok, I guess. You?”

“Could be better.” Dawn looked guilty. “I’m real sorry about your mom.” It had taken some effort but Willow had managed to literally conjure up a cell phone, and Kit had placed the call to reassure her frantic mother she was still alive the day before. Sunnydale was a town under siege, with the demons not only taking advantage of the devastation left by the attack of the wizards but also the absence of the Slayer and her team. Kit’s mother had been torn between weak-kneed relief that her daughter wasn’t as dead as she had thought and sheer fury that she had been spirited away to England by Buffy and the others. Kit had tried desperately to give some kind of explanation that didn’t make her sound completely insane but in the end had settled for just telling her mother the unlikely story that Buffy had reacted instinctively to the danger and had managed to get a friend with connections to fly in with a charter plane and snatch them from danger. According to Kit’s mother Carlos’ parents hadn’t noticed he was missing yet and she rang off with a half-hearted assurance that as soon as Buffy could arrange flights back she would be home. It also cheered Buffy up no end to be informed that she and the others could expect to be arrested for abduction and the endangerment of a minor the minute they set foot back on US soil.

Harry changed the subject hastily as the American girls fell into an awkward silence. “How many more people do you think they can fit in the school anyway?” He looked around the heaving room. “It looks like they’ve packed half of the wizarding world in here. The house-elves can barely keep up with the extra work as it is.”

Ron stifled a grin at the annoyed look on Hermione’s face at the mention of the increased workload for the house elves and poked his dubious looking meat again. “And their standards have really slipped.”

Dawn felt her stomach roll over as Ron prodded at his dinner and stood hastily. “I’m not hungry. Buffy and the others are having dinner with Professor McGonagall in her quarters tonight; wanna go spend some extra time with Connor?”

The others nodded and stood up from the table, ignoring the increase in whispering and pointing as they made their way to the hospital wing. The group walked in silence towards the medical wing and it wasn’t until Dawn gasped in shock that Ron took his eyes from the floor and realised they had arrived. He peered over Dawn’s head to see what had caused such a strong reaction and blinked at Connor’s bed, completely empty of all things Connor.

“Connor?” Dawn spun in a tight circle, her voice alive with hope. “Connor?”

The group stared around the hospital wing, searching for their friend, as Madam Pomfrey bustled up. “Miss Summers…”

Dawn gripped the woman’s shoulders tightly. “Has he woken up? Where is he?” Her hands shook with excitement. “Is he ok?”

Hermione frowned uneasily as she saw the look of pity on the matron’s face and exchanged worried glances with Ginny. Something wasn’t right. “Miss Summers, I’m sorry.” The elderly nurse flushed with guilt. “We thought it would be best to do this when you weren’t here. Kinder.”

Dawn’s face flooded with terrible suspicion. “Do what? What have you done with Connor?” She shook the woman hard. “WHERE IS HE?”

“Dawn, take it easy.” Harry pulled Dawn back and behind him before saying grimly to Madam Pomfrey. “What’s been done with Connor, Madam?”

“His father signed the papers this afternoon. He’s being taken to St Mungo’s, there’s nothing more we can do for him here.” Madam Pomfrey backed up a step at the look of fury on Harry’s face. “It was the only thing we could do for him.”

“Did Dumbledore agree to this?” Ron clamped a hand on Dawn’s arm to hold her still. “Does he know?”

The matron shook her head. “No, the headmaster is attending an emergency summit at the Ministry headquarters. He is being asked to explain his recent actions to the Council. The Minister sent word this afternoon that he…”

Harry turned his back on the stuttering woman. “Hermione, a locator spell, quickly! Ginny, Ron, accio some brooms.” He gripped Dawn’s shoulders and said firmly as the others worked their charms behind him. “He goes nowhere without Dumbledore’s say-so. I don’t know what Fudge is up to but we’re not giving Connor up. Kit, you fly with me.”

“Mister Potter…” Madam Pomfrey’s eyes bulged as Harry turned back to her with his wand drawn. “What do you think you are doing?”

“Sorry, Madam. Petrificus Totalis!” Ginny awkwardly caught the woman as her legs snapped together and she started to fall face forwards onto the floor. Kit moved to help her lift the witch onto Connor’s empty bed and Harry ignored the shouts of protest from the other patients to point to the summoned brooms as they hurtled through the door. “Everyone mount up.”

Ginny dragged Hermione to a broom and they both climbed on as Ron pulled Dawn behind him to another one. Harry helped Kit on and then climbed on himself. “Hold on tightly. Hermione, go!”

Hermione nodded and released a small ball of light that she held curled in the palm of her hand. “Connor!” The ball hovered for a moment and then shot out of the room with the three broomsticks fast on its heels.

They flew wildly through the castle for long minutes, dodging shouted protests from various wizards and witches they encountered until at last their guide took the well known path to the tallest Hogwarts tower. Kit closed her eyes as Harry sent the broom flying up the steep steps and tried desperately to think of anything but the fact she was flying through the air at breakneck speed on a primitive household appliance. The wind whipped her long hair back behind her and her cheeks throbbed with sudden cold as they burst from the shelter of the confined stairwell and into the night air.

“STOP RIGHT THERE!” Ron’s voice echoed furiously into the night and he pointed his wand at Angel, Cordelia and two cloaked figures as they stood by a hovering stretcher. “DON’T MOVE!”

Angel’s mouth dropped open in shock as Ron and Dawn landed and leapt off their broom to point their wands at him. He took a step towards them and then it seemed to be raining teenagers as Harry and Ginny brought theirs in to land. Hermione pointed her wand at Connor’s escort as Ginny brought them down and yelled. “Expelliarmius!” Two wands flew through the air and landed with a satisfying smack in the young witch’s hand.

Angel growled warningly. “Back off, Dawn. This doesn’t concern you.” His eyes flickered yellow in the darkness. “I don’t want to hurt you…”

“Not an issue.” Ginny’s wand sliced through the air. “Petrificus Totalis!” She nodded with satisfaction as Angel crashed to the floor and then did the same to the stunned Cordelia. “We don’t have the time to argue, someone will have raised the alarm by now. Grab Connor!”

Dawn and Kit looked up from where they had been anxiously checking him over and Dawn said frantically. “Where are we going to take him? He needs medical help and we can’t keep him safe in school.”

“I don’t know about that.” Hermione yelped with surprise as another small ball of locating light bounced over the top of the tower to be swiftly followed by another broomstick. Draco Malfoy waved with exaggerated nonchalance. “Evening all. Summers, I have someone here who insists she’s related to you.” He landed with a gentle bump and turned to gallantly assist a slender figure off the broomstick behind him. “She seems to think you need her help.”

Dawn straightened slowly as Malfoy’s companion moved forward and into a patch of moonlight. A delicate, pale face smiled gently at her as a soft white hand smoothed back long midnight black hair. Dawn took a hesitant step forwards. “Dru?”

Drusilla smiled happily. “Hello, little bird. Your granny has come to visit.”


	20. Chapter Eighteen

Dawn broke the stunned silence, “Drusilla!” She pushed past Ron and flung herself at the vampire, “God, Dru…”

“Hush, dearie, hush now.” Drusilla folded Dawn into her embrace and cooed gently in the overwrought girl’s ear as Dawn began to sob onto her shoulder, “I am here now and all shall be well.” Her wide eyes travelled around the top of the tower and settled on the unconscious Connor, “I shall bring little brother back to you, little one.”

Dawn clung tighter to Drusilla’s slender form, “Dru, they’re going to take him. Please…Please…”

“No, my sweet.” Gently Dru untangled Dawn’s arms from around her neck and eased the girl back, “They shall not take him from you.” She lifted a pale hand to Dawn’s cheek and wiped away her tears, “Be calm, my love, your Granny is here and all shall be well.” Dru’s eyes flashed amber suddenly as one of the medi-wizards moved forward in protest and her game face flickered into life for a moment, “Back! You have been bad little dogs and I shall give you a spanking if you aren’t nice. Ruff!”

Ron eyed the new addition warily. “Yeah. Or we can just do this.” His wand moved quickly and stunned the two wizards. “Bit quicker I think.”

Despite herself Dawn gave a watery giggle, “Dru, it’s so good to see you.” She sniffed back more tears, “I don’t know what to do anymore. Connor’s so ill and they want to take him away but they can’t and…and…” Her throat closed over with emotion and Dawn was left just gulping air as she tried to bring herself under some kind of control.

Drusilla brought Dawn into her side and smiled happily at Kit, “Little cat. It’s good to see you again.”

Kit smiled back at the demon, “You too, Drusilla. I’m sorry I never said goodbye last time, but…” She gestured helplessly at Dawn, “Things were kind of intense.”

Dru squeezed Dawn lightly, “I remember.” She tensed suddenly, “Daddy and his love will be angry and William will soon know I am here. We must hide and they shall go seek.” Dru turned to Draco still standing silently at her shoulder, “Help the other boys with my brother, we must leave.” She looked at Dawn, “Is there somewhere we can go that you can hold against attack?”

Dawn straightened and thought furiously for a moment, “Yes.” She turned to Hermione, “If we got him to the dorm, can we hold out there? They won’t be able to get in easily, right?”

Hermione tore her eyes away from the pale woman holding her friend and nodded at Dawn, “We can hold them off for longer there. Only Dumbledore really has the power to bypass the password.”

“Then that’s where we go.” Dawn was suddenly all business, “Harry, can you summon the Invisibility cloak for Dru and me? We’re the fastest on foot. You can take Kit, Gin can take Hermione and Malfoy and Ron can handle Connor between them. Do whatever you have to do to get Connor home safe. We’ll be right behind you.”

“Got it.” Harry gestured to Kit to follow him as he hastily performed the spell for his cloak.

Hermione looked uneasily at Dawn. “Are you sure you’ll be safe?” She flicked an unhappy glance at Dru swaying in the night air. “She doesn’t look very stable.”

Dawn squeezed Dru’s hand and smiled almost fondly. “She isn’t; she’s vicious and bloodthirsty and completely insane.” She took a deep breath. “But she’s the best chance we have of getting Connor back now.”

“Good enough for me.” Ginny snatched her broom up. “Hermione, let’s go. We’ll have to fly through the castle; all the windows are charmed against attack. Harry, Ron, you ready?”

Ron looked around from where he was securing Connor’s stretcher to the back of his broom with ropes coiling from the end of his wand and nodded. “Ready. Malfoy?”

Draco finished tying his own ropes with a flourish. “Ready. Do try and keep up, won’t you, Weasley?” He grinned at Ron’s glare as they rose on their brooms with Connor strung like a bizarre hammock between them.

Harry caught his cloak as it came flying up the stairs and threw it to Dawn. “Let’s go.”

Dawn snatched at the cloak and flung it around her and Dru. “Don’t stop for anything. Keep him safe.”

Harry tossed her a salute and then dove down the stairs with his wand drawn and Kit hanging on for dear life behind him. Ginny and the two boys quickly followed, Connor floating behind like a balloon, and Dawn drew the cloak over her own and Dru’s heads. “You ready?”

Drusilla nodded. “Of course, my love. What about Daddy and his mate?”

Dawn spared Angel a quick glance as she followed the others, making sure to keep a good grip on Drusilla. “They can take their chances. Connor’s the only important thing now. Stay close, Dru.”

  
  


* * *

Dawn and Dru made it to the Durus Cateanus common room less than three minutes after the others. Ron and Malfoy were waiting by the door and the minute Dawn and the vampire burst into the room they slammed the door shut and cast a binding charm on the door. Ron smiled at Dawn. “That should hold for a while.”

Dawn tossed Harry’s cloak on a nearby chair and made for the stairs. “Any problems?”

“None worth mentioning.” Malfoy stretched his aching back. “We put him in your room, the others are with him.”

Dawn motioned Drusilla ahead of her and looked at the two boys. “Thank you. For everything.”

Ron waved a hand negligently. “Forget it. Just make sure it was worth it, go bring him back.” He watched as Dawn smiled and then took the stairs two at a time in Drusilla’s wake.

Draco crossed his arms and thought of the hexings they had dished out to the people that had tried to stop them in the mad dash back from the tower. “Forget it? We’re a bit free and easy with our favours aren’t we, Weasley? I’m thinking that this little escapade puts Angel and Summers in our debt for some years to come.”

Ron walked across to the window and glanced out at the silent grounds. “Yeah? Well I’m thinking that between us, most of the members of my house have saved your expensive, evil hide more than once in the last week.” He smirked at Malfoy. “And if we can let that go, then you can write off this little ‘debt’.”

Malfoy quirked an eyebrow. “I’m evil? Expensive, undoubtedly, but evil?”

Ron tapped his own forearm meaningfully. “Stamped, sealed and delivered.”

An indefinable emotion passed over Malfoy’s face as he glanced at his own arm where the Dark Mark lay hidden and then his trademark sneer was firmly back in place. “I was considering a kitten but I didn’t think it would go with the image.”

Ron was surprised into a laugh at the dry comeback and then sobered as a loud bang came from the door to the common room. “They’re here.”

Both boys stood and moved to the centre of the room to face the door. Malfoy took a deep breath and gripped his wand. “First one to fall gets the beers in at Azkaban.”

  
  


Ron raised an eyebrow without taking his eyes from the door. “They serve beer at Azkaban?”

“They’ll serve naked women on sticks if you pay enough. I’m rich remember?” Draco grinned. “Not that I expect you to understand the finer nuances of having more than two galleons at any one time.”

Ron smiled at the familiar insult. “I really loathe you.”

“And long may it continue.” Malfoy glanced towards the stairs as the banging and shouting outside the door increased in urgency. “What ever they’re doing up there, they’d better do it fast. It sounds like they aren’t going to bother bypassing your password and are just going to blow the bloody door off.”

Ron shrugged. “They’re paying for any damages.” He snuck his own glance at the stairs and bounced lightly on his toes. “Come on, Dawn, come on…”

  
  


* * *

In the girls’ bedroom Harry and Hermione stood by the door, wands at the ready in case their pursuers made it past the common room door and Ron and Malfoy whilst Dawn and Ginny stood by Dawn’s bed and watched Drusilla sink into a trance as she held Connor’s limp hand and begin to the mental journey to find him.

Ginny slipped her arm around Dawn’s waist and eyed the deceptively fragile looking vampire. “So, totally evil then?”

Dawn rubbed her hands up and down her arms and tried to stop shivering. “Totally. But not with Connor or me. Dru loves family and to her that’s what we are. I think in her own way she loves us.” Dawn bit her lip as she remembered Dru coming after her when she died at Riley Finn’s hands months before. “If anyone can get him back, Dru can. She’s got some serious psychic power going on. I can’t lose him, Gin.”

Ginny looked up at the rail-thin, battered girl next to her. “I know.”

“No.” Dawn shook her head. “You don’t. I feel like I can’t breathe. I’ve known him less than six months but he’s my whole life.” The shivers wracking her body intensified. “When it comes to him and me, all bets are off. When I died in the summer, Connor tried to get his dad to turn me.” She smiled at Ginny’s shocked gasp and nodded. “I know. Connor Angel, scourge of vampire kind, was willing to have my ass demonised rather than let me die. He doesn’t know that I know that. It sounds so…stupid when I say it out loud but I don’t think we can live properly without each other. Nothing seems real anymore.” She looked guiltily at Kit standing nervously beside Hermione and Harry, clutching an axe and preparing to use it on anyone that tried to take Connor from them. “Even stuff like Carlos dying and losing Xander doesn’t seem important when I know that Connor isn’t with me. I’m so selfish.”

“No.” Ginny turned Dawn to face her and looked earnestly into her eyes. “No, you aren’t. Your friend is dead, there’s nothing you can do for him, and Xander can’t be found at the moment. Connor is here, alive, and he needs our help. You aren’t selfish for making him a priority. There’ll be time to grieve and mount rescue missions when we’re back together again. All of us.”

Dawn smiled faintly. “You think?”

“I know.” Ginny’s voice was firm and she looked at Connor lying still on the bed. “He’s coming back to us and when he does we’re going to take care of everything that needs taking care of.”

“Thanks, Ginny.” Dawn raised a hand to squeeze one of Ginny’s. “Thank you.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” The two girls watched the silent tableau on the bed for another few moments before Dawn spoke in a rush.

“We’ve never even slept together.” Her eyes filled with tears. “He never even knew that I wanted him like that.”

Ginny blinked in startled surprise and blushed. “What? I thought…well, you always seemed so…”

Dawn nodded. “I know. We never did though. Came close a bunch of times but we always stopped.” Tears began to leak down her face. “I don’t know why we did. I wish we had. Maybe it says something about us that we didn’t; maybe what we have isn’t as real as I thought it was.”

“Stop it.” Ginny gave Dawn’s arm a firm shake. “Stop it right now. Of course what you have is real. If you’ve been together all these months and not slept together it says that what you have is as real as it gets. It isn’t all about the hormones and teenage lust; it’s about your feelings for each other. It was just never the right time for you. I think you know when it is.”

“You think?” Dawn scrubbed the back of her hand over her face. “You really think so?”

“Yes.” Ginny said with deep sincerity. “When I find someone, I want it to be like you and Connor. I want to feel like I can’t breathe if they’re not with me; I want the world not to matter if they get lost. I want to know that I’m a half of a whole, because despite all the pain, I think it’s worth it. All of it.”

“It is.” Dawn nodded and looked down at Connor’s unconscious face. “It’s worth everything.”

  
  


* * *

Drusilla looked at her surroundings and pouted in annoyance. “Not pretty, not pretty at all.” She turned in a slow disapproving circle. “No colours, where are all the pretty colours?”

“There are no colours here. This is Quor’toth.” Connor materialised beside the vampire. “This is my home.” He looked around the blackened and twisted distortion of a forest surrounding them. “This is where I belong. Go away, Drusilla.”

“Little brother.” Dru reached out a pale hand and scowled when Connor shied away from her touch. “I am here to take you home.”

“I am home. Go away.” Connor turned to march into the hideously deformed trees. “Leave me alone.”

“No, this was never your home.” Drusilla walked gracefully beside the boy. “Only your prison.” She matched her pace to Connor’s as he began to speed up and then broke into a run. “You cannot flee me, I will follow you wherever you will go.”

“Leave me ALONE!” Connor leapt in mid-step and ripped a jagged branch from a tree. With a snarl he turned and plunged it into Drusilla’s chest and straight through her heart.

They stood staring into each other’s eyes for a moment and then Dru gave a delighted shimmy. “Oh, it tickles!” She watched as Connor staggered back in shock and giggled. “Naughty little brother, being all mean to your sister. I shall have to punish you.”

“That never did any good.” The low, grating voice had Connor cringing on the floor and hiding his head in his hands as Daniel Holtz stepped from the trees. “I tried to punish him for the sins of his birth, force the evil from him, but nothing worked.” The old man looked in disgust at the boy on the floor. “He is a creature of the dark, nothing will save him. Isn’t that right, Stephen?”

Connor flinched at the sound of his old name. “Father, I’m sorry; I tried…”

“It’s alright, son, things like you aren’t meant for the world outside.” Holtz laid a heavy hand on Connor’s bowed head. “You were always meant for the dark and the demons, never for…”

“No!” Drusilla’s eyes flashed gold and she stepped forward. “No! He is not yours, he is ours. We love him, not you.” Her lips peeled back in a snarl. “Go back to your rest, old man, leave our boy in peace.”

“The worst of Angelus’ sins and she dares to talk to me of love?” Holtz sneered. “What do you know of what I sacrificed to keep this thing safe?”

“Nothing. I know nothing.” Dru glared. “He was never yours to keep safe. He was Daddy’s boy and you took him. His soul was never yours to protect. Leave!”

“Will you let this blight on God’s earth talk to your father like that, Stephen? This abomination…”

“Not Stephen, Connor! He is Connor.” Drusilla vamped out and lunged for Holtz. “Connor.” She fell forward as the old man vanished with a cruel laugh and then turned as Connor raised his head.

“He’s right. I should never have left here. I don’t deserve to be out there.” Anguished tears rolled down Connor’s face. “The things I’ve done…”

“Mean nothing.” Drusilla knelt in front of the stricken boy and cocked her head to one side. “They mean nothing. Daddy and the little bird are lost in their pain as they feel you slip away. They cannot survive your loss.”

“Angel will be fine.” Connor wiped futilely at his wet face. “He’ll get over it.”

“No, daddy will be lost. He cannot lose you again. He needs to know that there is something in this world he can fight for.” Drusilla smiled. “Something that makes his existence real.”

“He fights every day, he doesn’t need an excuse.” Connor laughed bitterly. “If he knew who I really am…”

“Then he would still love you.” Drusilla’s voice was firm. “Have you tried to show him, let him see you as you really are?”

“Oh yeah, I can just see that going well.” Connor gestured to the trees around them and then to himself. “Hey Dad, say hi to your half-crazy, murdering kid. And by the way, that whole trying to kill your girlfriend thing you had a few years back, turns out it wasn’t a hereditary one shot deal. Cool, huh?”

“That is not how he sees you. Or how Dawn sees you. She wants you to come back to her.” Drusilla twisted her hands together. “She needs you to come back to her.”

“How can I go back? I tried to kill her.” Connor stared around the black landscape of his mind. “How can I go back when she’s seen what I really am?”

Drusilla smiled sweetly. “Our little bird has always known who you are, brother.” Her head tilted to the side and she swayed gently from side to side in a non-existent breeze. “She loves the whole not just the parts. Her pain and loss scream across the dimensions as she cries out for the return of her lost love.” A canny look came over the vampire’s face and she smiled gently. “Would you leave her alone and incomplete for the rest of her days? Dying by inches, as the missing piece of her heart grows like a sickness inside her and slowly consumes her soul.”

Connor shook his head. “Dawn wouldn’t let that happen, she’s strong. She’d go on.”

Dru nodded and moved closer to Connor, black eyes glittering in her pale face. “Yes, she would go on, but she would never again be whole. There would always be something that would pull at her, telling her that she is missing a vital part of who she is.” A white hand drifted towards Connor’s face and traced the curve of his cheek. “We do not choose who to love, little brother, and we cannot choose when not to. If you leave her now, she will be forever alone. No man’s touch will ever be truly felt, no emotion ever truly experienced, she will whither and die like flowers in the snow and go to the end of her days mourning the loss of the one that would not trust in her love for him.”

Connor’s eyes filled with tears and he clenched his fists. “No one loves like that. That’s for children’s books and fairytales.”

“No.” Dru shook her head. “You know that is not true.” Her hand moved down to hover over his heart. “You love like that, is it really so hard to believe that little bird can love the same way? Love you the same way?” Silence stretched between them as they stared into one another’s eyes and Drusilla whispered. “Trust in love.”

Slowly, very slowly, Connor’s hand came up from his side. Never taking his eyes from Dru’s face, he brought his fingers near to hers and said quietly. “I just have to take your hand?” The vampire nodded. Connor took a deep breath and with a convulsive movement brought their hands together with bruising force. There was a flash of green-tinged light and then nothing but the sound of silence.

  
  


* * *

Draco crouched behind the sofa with Ron and listened to the attempts of the Aurors outside to break in. Both boys were grim faced but determined that Connor would not be taken from them. Ron jumped at the sound of splintering wood and muttered. “This is it. Are you ready?”

“Never more so. They’re not having him.” Draco gripped his wand and ground his teeth. “I won’t let them take him.”

Ron looked mildly surprised at the vehement tone of voice and flicked a quick look at Malfoy’s white, set face. “Why does it matter so much to you anyway? You don’t know him.”

“He’s my friend.” It was hard to see who the simple declaration rocked more, Ron or Draco. Malfoy blinked and repeated slowly. “He’s my friend.”

Ron stared at the bane of most of his life and, for once, could think of nothing clever or sarcastic to say. He nodded. “Fair enough, he’s mine too. Let’s make sure we both get to keep him. When they come through that door we’re casting a shield spell, the same one we used in America. It’s Protego Obexicus and it will trip the other defensive spells we’ve got set up in here. One sharp downward slash with your wand.”

The door exploded off its hinges with a loud crash and Ron and Draco reared in perfect synchronicity over the sofa back. “PROTEGO OBEXICIS!” The first Auror bounced off the barrier charm that had served them so well in the battle with Voldemort.

Ron smiled coldly. “Evening, gentlemen. Nice day isn’t it?” He peered at the Auror on the floor, cursing and clutching his nose, and nudged Malfoy. “That looks sore.”

Draco nodded in agreement. “Dreadfully sore. I’d get some ice on it if I were you, old man.” He grinned cockily at the people crowded into the room and backed up into the doorway. “Hello, may we help you?”

“Malfoy, Weasley, get this barrier down, right now!” Cornelius Fudge was vibrating with fury at the sight of the two teenage boys smirking at him.

Draco glared at the little man. “Oh you’re back, are you? Quite finished with your scheming in London? Where’s our headmaster?”

Fudge went purple with impotent anger at the boy’s sneering tone and ignored his question. “There is a dangerous person at large in this school and we have reason to believe you are harbouring them.”

Ron and Draco exchanged amused glances. Ron chuckled. “What do you think tipped them off?”

Malfoy shrugged. “Could have been the high-speed chase through the school hallways and the Auror I left hanging from the chandelier in the Not-So-Great Vestibule.”

Ron nodded thoughtfully. “Could be, could be.”

Another thought occurred to Malfoy. “And which dangerous person would that be? We’re harbouring quite a few, you know. You need to be more gender specific, correct use of grammar and all that.”

Minister Fudge clutched at his hat and the brim crumpled under his frustrated fingers. “I’m warning you both, take down this barrier or face the consequences…”

  
  


Draco and Ron turned towards the stairs as a new voice sounded. “Blow it out your arse, Fudge.” Ginny stepped into the room and shook her head in response to Ron and Draco’s silent query. She glared at the Minister. “We’re not giving you either Connor or Drusilla. Ron, Harry says to tell you another few minutes.”

Ron nodded. “Right you are, Gin. Minister, as soon as Harry gives us the all clear we’ll drop the charm and you can arrest the lot of us.” He folded his arms across his chest and added firmly. “But not one second before Harry says the word.”

  
  


* * *

Dawn glanced around at the sound of a crash from the direction of the common room and watched Harry and Ginny exchange urgent words by the door, before Ginny left the room quickly and disappeared into the corridor. Harry smiled bracingly at Dawn. “She’s gone to give them a hand. Hermione and I will stay here.”

Dawn nodded and turned back to her anxious vigil at Connor’s bedside. Drusilla moved gently from side to side in her trance, a small smile flickering over her face, but other than that there was no sign of life from either of the two. Dawn bit her lip and squeezed Connor’s hand between hers. “Please, Connor, please.” And, just like that, her prayers were answered.

“I’m sorry.” Dawn nearly missed the faint whisper from the bed, but she felt the feeble squeeze on her hand. Her head came up and she stared in disbelieving joy as Connor blinked blearily at her. “I’m so sorry…”

“Connor…” Dawn dropped his hand and threw herself onto his chest, completely forgetting the wound there. “Connor, you’re ok!”

Connor winced as his chest gave a warning twinge but forced his arms off the bed and around Dawn’s shaking body. “Yeah. I’m sorry, Dawn.”

“I don’t care…” Dawn’s head shook violently from side to side and she pressed her face into his neck. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“Never.” Connor blinked back his own tears as Dru rose with a smile from his other side and patted his cheek softly. “I’ll always come back to you.” Dawn lost herself in frenzied weeping against his chest as Connor caught Harry’s eye. “Harry, I…I…”

Harry walked forward with a wide smile and clasped Connor’s arm tightly. “Forget it, mate. I’m just glad you’re back.”

Connor gave a weak smile. “Me too. Are the others ok?”

Harry’s grin widened at the typically Connor question. “Fine. They’re preparing to fight to the death for you downstairs though.”

Connor shifted in the bed. “Better get down there then.” He frowned as he felt an unfamiliar sensation against his legs. “What am I wearing?” He slipped one hand beneath the covers and the scowl deepened as he discovered his hospital gown. “Am I wearing a dress?” He struggled to dislodge Dawn and sit up and discovered another interesting piece of information about his current attire. “There’s nothing on my butt! Why is there nothing on my butt?” Connor shook Dawn’s shoulder urgently. “Where the hell are my pants?”

  
  


* * *

Ron was leaning against Ginny, watching the Ministry Auror’s trying to take down his and Draco’s spell and wearing a very annoying grin. “Oh, nice try!” He gave a sympathetic look to the man that had suddenly just had his incisors lengthen down to his toes. “Don’t worry, Hermione’s jinx traps will only last twenty-four hours. She’s good isn’t she?”

Draco snorted in amusement as a very, very, small woman suddenly grew a very, very, large head. “She’s bloody evil. Did she think of all those booby-charms herself? Oh, bad luck!” A cursing Auror hopped away as he suddenly turned half man, half kangaroo.

Ron nodded and wondered absently when they might be able to grab a bite to eat. “Yeah. She’s been working on protective charms and defensive measures for months now.” A bolt of lightening zapped from the barrier and grounded inches away from Minister Fudge’s feet. The little man leapt into the air with a squeak as Ron scratched his nose and added reflectively. “’Course, her offensive measures aren’t too bad either.”

“Let me through!” The room looked around at the sound of a loud American voice and Ron peered over the tops of the Aurors’ heads to see Angel shouldering his way through the wizards, a grim look on his face. “Get out of my damn way.” Angel shoved Fudge angrily out of his path and came up against the barrier. “Let me in right now.”

Ron shook his head. “Found you did they? Sorry, mate, no can do.” He jerked a thumb towards the ceiling and shrugged sorrowfully. “Under orders.”

Angel vamped out and smashed his fist off the barrier wall, making Ginny scream, the two boys jump and a wizard that didn’t duck the defensive charm as quickly as Angel turn into a small pot of carnations. “That’s my son in there!”

“I know.” Ron stepped towards Angel and said sincerely. “And I’m sorry, but we can’t let them take him. Drusilla seems to think she can help bring him back.”

“Drusilla can’t be trusted. She’s a demon.” Angel was practically dancing on the spot from frustration. “You’re all in terrible danger…”

Ginny interrupted Angel firmly. “We’re always in terrible danger. Drusilla is a demon that has already saved Dawn from dying once this year. Dawn says we can trust her and we believe her. You are not taking Connor out of here.”

“You can’t keep me away from my son!” Angel snarled in furious anger. “I want this barrier down and I want it do…” His voice died away as he caught a movement on the stairs and his eyes widened in amazed wonder.

Connor grinned as he stopped on the last step with his arms draped over Dawn and Kit’s shoulders for support. “Hi, Dad.” Much happier now the backless hospital gown had been discarded and he was wearing a pair of comfortably familiar jeans and a t-shirt, Connor gave a little wave to the wizards behind his father. “Hello.”

“Connor.” Angel managed the brief croak and then had to be satisfied with gaping in shock at his son.

“That’s me.” Connor smiled at Ginny as she ran forward and threw her arms round his waist with a whoop of joy. “Hey, Ginny. Guys.”

Ron and Draco grinned stupidly at their friend and Ron shook his head mockingly. “Took you long enough. We were about to give up and let them have you.”

“Quitter. I’m lucky Draco was here to stop you.” Connor winked at Draco and smiled down at Dawn, glued to his side. “Head for the sofas.” The room was silent as Dawn and Kit walked Connor slowly across the room to the sofas, with Harry and Hermione bringing up the rear and Ron, Draco and Ginny arranging themselves in a watchful line behind the seat to keep an eye on Angel and the older wizards staring at them. Connor arranged himself comfortably on the sofa with Dawn clamped firmly to his side and Kit clutching nervously at his hand and stared at the silent adults. “What’s going on?” He screwed his head back to look questioningly at Ron. “Who’d we piss off now?”

Ron grinned goofily at Hermione, who blushed and looked away, before answering his friend. “Everyone. They wanted to take you away.”

Connor nodded. “Aah.” He looked down at Dawn clinging white-faced to him.

“That explains this then.” He patted her shoulder comfortingly. “It’s ok, sweetie. I’m not going anywhere.”

Dawn shuddered and burrowed closer. “I thought you were dead. I thought I killed you.”

Connor’s eyebrows rose. “Let it go, Dawn.” He frowned in thought as more vague memories came back to him. “We went over this upstairs, I think I probably deserved it.” He looked down as his love whimpered and pressed a kiss to her shining hair. “Don’t worry about it, baby, I still love you.” Connor looked up at his father and grinned. “This whole lover’s-fight-to-the-death must seem pretty familiar to you, got any tips?” Angel opened and shut his mouth wordlessly and Connor chuckled. “Helpful as always. Where’s Mom?”

“Right here.” Cordelia shoved Cornelius Fudge aside with a sneer of contempt and looked her son over with over-bright eyes. “This idiot tried to tell us that you were gone.”

Connor shrugged. “Nearly was.” He jerked his head towards the stairs. “Drusilla came and found me.”

“Daddy!” Drusilla clapped her hands together and squealed with happiness. “Daddy is here!” She slipped lightly down the last few steps and twirled in tight circles across the room. “Now we shall be a family and play with our dollies and have cake before bedtime.”

“I don’t do dolls.” Connor looked levelly at Drusilla and said firmly. “Come take care of Dawn for me, Dru. I need a word with my dad.” He squeezed Kit’s hand before releasing it with a smile and untangled Dawn’s arms from around his waist as she shook her head in protest. “It’s ok, honey, I’ll come right back.” Connor kissed Dawn’s head again and passed her into Dru’s waiting arms. “I’ll come right back.”

With a grunt of effort, and a shake of his head to Hermione as she moved to help him, Connor got to his feet and then moved carefully across to his father. Although his chest was tight, it didn’t feel painful and the shakiness that seemed to have affected him after he had woken had mostly passed. Connor smiled to himself, all in all he felt a lot better than someone who’d had an iron bar rammed through their chest had a right to. “You ok, Dad?”

Angel reached out a hand and growled as it bounced back off the barrier. “I thought I’d lost you again. Connor, I…” His throat worked as he tried to find the right words. “I…”

Connor took another step and walked through the barrier, voluntarily hugging his father in public for the first time in his entire life. “I know, Dad. I love you too.”

He leaned his head against Angel’s shoulder as the vampire crushed his son to his chest and began to weep unashamed tears. “I’m ok. I’m ok.”

Cordelia, tears blurring her own eyes, turned to Harry and the others. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” She tried to walk to Dawn and was thrown back with a gasp as she hit the barrier. “What was that?”

“Barrier.” Ron glanced quizzically at Harry. “Are we dropping it?”

“Probably best.” Harry watched enviously as Connor stood in his father’s embrace. “I think we’re ok now.”

Draco eyed the Aurors and the still furious looking Fudge. “Your judgement has a lot to be desired, Potter.” He sidled to the side so he stood firmly between Ginny and the Aurors. “Let’s hope we don’t get to share a cell at Azkaban.”

Ron crossed to Hermione’s side and planted himself squarely in front of her. “I second that. On three, Malfoy, you slimy little git?”

Despite himself Malfoy laughed and nodded in agreement. “On three, you orange-haired throwback.”

Ginny poked his shoulder blades indignantly. “Hey!”

Draco winced as he remembered whom he stood protectively in front of. “I see you as more a burnt auburn.”

Ginny scowled. “Twat.”

“Shocking language, Weasley.” Draco tutted and shook his head. “What would your mother say?”

“She’d say, go wash your mouth out this instant, Virginia Weasley.” Molly Weasley pushed past the unfortunate Mr Fudge and stood with her hands braced on her ample hips, feet wide apart. “I don’t know what you children think you’re playing at but it’s stopping right now. Get this barrier down!”

“Mum…” Ronald Weasley, veteran of savage battles and self-confident Headboy of Hogwarts school, jumped a mile and flinched in horror as his mother glared across the room at him. “What are you doing here?”

“Never mind that, Ron Weasley, you get this barrier down right now or you’ll get more than the back of my hand!” Molly fairly quivered with rage as she swept her eyes over the eight teenagers and one vampire. “I’ve never heard anything like it! Getting in fights with the Ministry, going off to America, stealing sick people from hospitals…”

Harry twitched as his de facto mother’s voice rose steadily into a screech and exchanged miserable looks with Ron and Ginny. Ron gave a heavy sigh and nudged Malfoy. Draco, staring in fascinated horror at Mrs Weasley, blinked and nodded warily. The two boys waved their wands and muttered the counter-charm and then nearly fell over each other trying to back away as Molly marched towards them still shouting at the top of her lungs. “What did you think you were playing at?” Ron yelped as his mother fetched him a cuff round the ear and scrambled hurriedly out of range of her next angry swipe. “I told you anymore nonsense this year and there’d be trouble!” Harry’s own ears rang as he was on the receiving end of the next exasperated slap. “The last thing I said to you was not to get into anymore trouble…” Ginny clutched the side of her head as her mother’s hand connected with her ear and then burst into giggles at the look on Malfoy’s face as he received an angry smack around the back of the head that sent him stumbling forwards with a shout.

“Do you think this is funny?” Molly rounded on her only daughter and raised her hand again. “You think that hearing my children have gone gallivanting off to another country to fight You-Know-Who again is funny, do you?”

Ginny hurriedly straightened her face as Draco stared dumbfounded at her mother and rubbed his stinging ear. “No, Mum. I’m sorry, Mum.” She pointed at the tall, blond swearing a blue streak under his breath behind her mother. “But you just hit Malfoy, Mum.”

Molly looked nonplussed for a moment and then rallied admirably. “Well, I’m sure he deserved it.” She glared at the indignant Malfoy. “I thought you had more sense than to get mixed up with this lot.”

Draco gave another hard rub to his ear and muttered sulkily. “Me too.”

“And Hermione…” Molly began to swell up with rage again. “I thought, out of any of them, you’d have more sense than to go along with this nonsense!” Hermione cringed and edged behind Harry as she became the focus of Molly’s righteous wrath. “Of all the crack-pot, scatter-brained, stupid things to do…”

Connor looked round at a light touch on his shoulder and into Cordelia’s eyes. “And don’t think you’re getting away with any of this, young man.” Cordy scowled at her erstwhile son and poked his arm. “I’m just holding off until you’re feeling better.”

Connor’s mouth opened wide. “Me? I was unconscious, I had nothing to do with it!” He realised he was looking a little too healthy and tried to look a bit more pale and weak and concluded pitifully. “I was nearly dying…”

“Ha!” Cordelia fixed him with her best ‘mom’ look. “Try that on someone that doesn’t know you, Connor Angel. From what I hear there’s plenty that we need to have a talk about.” She tugged him out of Angel’s arms and into her own embrace. “There’s going to be a reckoning, buddy.”

Connor looked gloomily over her shoulder at Ron and the others as they cowered before their own maternal nightmare. “Yes, ma’am.”

Dawn and Kit watched from the sofa, safe in Drusilla’s arms, as the room vibrated with Molly Weasley’s anger. Dawn sniffled as she watched Connor in Cordelia’s embrace and gripped Dru’s hand tightly. “Thanks, Dru.”

The vampire smiled and blew a kiss to Angel as he stared at her cuddling the two girls. “My pleasure, my love.”

Kit flinched as Molly reached new heights of fury and ducked her head in case she got dragged into the line of fire. “Their mom is really angry. I’m so glad mine isn’t here.” She looked up as the sound of a throat being pointedly cleared and flinched as she saw Buffy and Spike glaring at the three on the sofa and looking most unhappy. “On second thought, I want my mommy.”

Dawn blinked her swollen eyes and sighed wearily. “Seconded. Wake me when we get past the lecture and on to the punishment.” She closed her eyes and leaned her head against Dru’s shoulder. “Probably some time tomorrow.”

  
  


* * *

Two hours later and everyone was settled down for the night. Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Harry had finally been rescued from Mrs Weasley and had been sent to bed with Kit and strict instructions to stay there until told otherwise. Draco had been escorted back to the Slytherin dungeons to spend the night in the guest quarters under the supervision of Professor Snape and Connor had been moved to a small room off the main hospital wing with Dawn flatly refusing to leave his side. Buffy had watched as her sister had followed Connor’s stretcher from the room and called after the two teenagers that she and Angel were going to sort out somewhere secure to leave Drusilla and then both sets of parents would be along to talk to their children. Dawn could have cared less, she had Connor back and all was right with her world.

They were happily lying on the narrow hospital bed in each other’s arms when a brisk knocking at the door announced the return of Angel and the others. Connor pressed a kiss to Dawn’s head and then called. “Come in.” Both teenagers grinned as Buffy, Spike, Angel and Cordelia poked their heads into the room. “Dad.”

Angel smiled mistily at the warm tone of voice from his son and squeezed Cordelia’s hand tightly. No matter how good he tried to tell himself his relationship was with Connor these days, it always gave him a buzz to realise that Connor felt something for him other than homicidal hatred and disgust. “Hey, son.” He stumbled as Spike elbowed him carelessly out of the way. “Spike!”

“Move it or lose it, Peaches.” The younger vampire swaggered forward with a wink at Connor. “Although it’s doubtful anything’s gonna be shiftin’ that load of lard from ‘is arse anytime soon. How ya doin’ Broody Jr?”

Connor grinned at the scowl on his father’s face and accepted the rough caress of Spike ruffling his hair. “Ok.”

Spike nodded as he moved round the bed and dropped a kiss on Dawn’s head. “Thought so. That bunch of pansies were all convinced you’d be at death’s door and not long for this world, but not your Uncle Spike. Smoke?”

Dawn giggled as Spike offered a crushed packet of cigarettes to Connor and received a glare from Buffy and the others. Spike winked at her. “Bunch of poofs.”

“Put them away, Spike.” Buffy eyed her vamp with exasperated annoyance and then turned the look on the two teenagers. “Feeling better?”

Dawn grinned at her sister and entwined a hand in one of Connor’s revelling in the feeling of it warm and safe in hers. “If we say no, will you not shout at us till morning?”

Buffy raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?” She saw her sister’s hand wrapped around Connor’s from the corner of her eye and the white-knuckled grip made her heart clench with sympathy at the horrors the two had endured over the last few days.

“That’d be a no then.” Connor smiled at Dawn and then at his father. “Give us your best shot, we can take it.”

Cordelia raised an eyebrow and sat on the end of the bed, slapping irritably at Connor’s feet. “What would you like us to take a shot at? The huge fight in the school hall, the dangerous portals opening all over the damn show, the other huge battle in the school hall, with your own side no less, or the incredibly stupid, dangerous, nearly fatal portal trip to Sunnydale that nearly got a bunch of civilians killed along with you?”

Dawn blinked and said weakly. “Man, that’s a long list.”

“That’s the tip of the bleedin’ iceburg, missy.” Spike raised an eyebrow and wagged his finger for good measure. “You should be ashamed of yourselves, like.”

Buffy rolled her eyes at the unconvincing tone. “Could you sound a little more angry and a little less proud papa, please? They nearly got each other killed!” She looked soberly at Dawn and Connor. “Remind me again what the first rule of slaying is?”

Connor looked at Dawn and muttered. “Don’t die.”

Angel cupped a hand to his head. “Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that, could you speak up?”

Dawn sighed and repeated with Connor. “Don’t die.”

“And why is it you two have so much trouble remembering that?” Cordelia’s foot tapped on the stone floor. “Other kids manage to go whole weeks at a time without forgetting how to breathe!”

Dawn nestled closer to Connor. “Look who’s talking.”

“Don’t even go there, Dawnie.” Buffy’s foot joined Cordy’s in tapping an annoyed tattoo on the floor. “I was seriously considering getting it tattooed on you.”

Cordelia reached for something on the floor with a sudden grin. “But fortunately I was there to talk her out of it.” She held up a bag. “We got you this instead.”

Angel ruffled Connor’s hair lovingly. “Think of it as highly specialised personal protection.”

Connor eyed Cordelia suspiciously as she reached into the bag and drew out two pieces of cloth in Durus Cateanus purple. “What’s that?”

Buffy took one from Cordelia and unfolded it. “These are your new handy-dandy, specialised Connor and Dawn fightin’ tops. Voila!” The two women shook their material out with a flourish and beamed at the two on the bed.

Dawn blinked and then began to giggle. Cordelia held a man’s t-shirt, whilst Buffy held a girl’s baby-t, but both were inscribed with the same legend in vivid gold bubble writing. “DON’T DIE! ”

“Subtle. Very subtle.” Connor shook his head wryly. “Where did you get those from?”

Buffy smirked. “That Scottish lady helped us. That’s not all though. Spike?”

Spike rolled his eyes but came forward willingly enough to scrape a nail across the palm of his hand and allow a drop of blood to fall on the man’s t-shirt. Dawn and Connor jumped as a voice suddenly bellowed. “DUCK! DON’T DIE!”

“Get the hint now?” Cordelia wrapped her arms around the startled Connor and hugged him tightly. “Don’t die.”

Connor hugged her back and tried to calm his racing heart. “Got it.”

  
  
  


* * *

After Angel and the others left Dawn nestled closer to Connor and breathed in the familiar warmth of his skin with a silent prayer of thanks. “I love you.”

Connor smiled up at the ceiling and squeezed her gently. “I know. I love you too.” He twisted his head around and kissed her shining hair. “More than anything.”

Dawn pulled herself closer still and nuzzled her face into his chest. “If I go all weak and girly will you hold it against me?” Her breath began to hitch slightly. “I think I need to cry again.”

Connor felt her begin to shudder against him and whispered. “I can do weak. Just hold onto me.” Long minutes past as Dawn wept in his arms and Connor shed a few silent tears of his own. Finally they lay spent and in exhausted silence. Connor’s hand drifted slowly through Dawn’s hair, tangling the long strands around his fingers as her hand stroked lazy circles on his chest.

Dawn bit her lip as she traced his scar. “I don’t think that’s going to fade.”

Connor shrugged against his pillows. “I can think of worse things than wearing your mark over my heart.”

“How do you do that?” Dawn raised her head and looked into Connor’s eyes. “How do you make everything ok with just a few words?”

Connor grinned at her and brushed a hand over her bruised cheek. “Not everything.” The smile faded slightly as he saw the bandages still on her shoulder from his sword attack. “There are some things I can’t make ok.”

Dawn pressed her lips to his and whispered. “You missed my heart, but I still get to have your mark. That’s good enough for me.” Her lips drifted to his neck and suckled gently. “I nearly lost you, Connor. I don’t want to do that again.”

Connor let out a surprised breath as she slipped her hand down over his chest and stomach. “Dawn?”

Dawn pressed closer. “I want you.”

“You’re not thinking straight. I…Dawn!” Connor bucked and rolled them on the bed until he was braced over Dawn and holding himself on trembling arms. “I don’t want to hurt you. You…”

“Ssh.” Dawn pressed her fingers to his lips and smiled tremulously. “I don’t want you to hurt me either. I just want you to…” A light flush stained her cheeks and she whispered nervously. “I really need to be close to you after…after Carlos and Xander and…I just want you. Do you want me?”

Ignoring the throbbing from the wound on his chest in favour of the one in his pyjama pants Connor swallowed and muttered earnestly. “Oh God, yes.”

“Then come here.” Dawn slipped her arms around his neck and raised her face to his. “Come here and show me how much.”

  
  


* * *

Professor Dumbledore looked up with a smile as the door to his office opened and Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy walked in. “Gentlemen.” He waved a hand to the two chairs placed facing him on the other side of his desk. “Take a seat.”

Draco glanced at Snape and then walked slowly across the room, acutely aware of the portraits of previous headmasters watching and whispering amongst themselves as he sat in one of the high backed chairs. Dumbledore smiled at him. “All better, Mr Malfoy?”

Draco stretched his spine and winced slightly as the vertebrae popped but nodded briskly. “Quite recovered, sir.”

“Good, good.” Dumbledore steepled his hands under his chin and looked expectantly at the blond boy. “Professor Snape tells me that you wish to discuss something of great importance and you did not feel it could wait until morning.”

Draco took another deep breath. “Yes, sir.”

“Very well. Proceed.” Dumbledore sat back in his chair and waited for Draco to begin.

Draco glanced at Professor Snape almost apologetically and then looked Dumbledore dead in the eye. “Well, sir, it’s about my house…”


	21. Chapter Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains consenting sex between two underaged characters.

Dawn looked into Connor’s eyes as he eased her back on the bed and brushed the hair from her flushed and bruised face, “I love you…”

“I love you too. I won’t hurt you.” His voice was low with desire and love as he leant down to nip her lips between his teeth, “It’s nothing that we haven’t done a thousand times before.” His teeth flashed in the darkness, “With one exception.”

Dawn ghosted her hand down the bruised, marked skin on his back and then stroked his chest through his bandages. “I know, it’s just…it’s big, y’know?”

Connor shook with laughter. “I like to think so.”

Dawn exploded with giggles before she could stop herself. “This is meant to be romantic!”

“And it will be.” Connor nuzzled the soft flesh of her throat, “I’ve been reading up on this sort of thing.” He let his fingers drift lightly over the small swell of her breasts, grinning at her small squirming motion at the touch, “I’m meant to be all manly and in control.” He gave a sage nod as he captured one delicate earlobe between his teeth. “I can do that. All you have to do is lie there and accept my experienced administra…God!” His eyes crossed as Dawn’s fingers cupped him and rubbed gently through the thin material of his pj’s.

“You were saying?” Dawn smirked as she did a little nuzzling of her own. “I believe you were just about to demonstrate how manly and in control you are?”

“Ugh!” Connor’s tongue tried to unstick itself from the top of his mouth. “Control won’t be high on my list of priorities if you keep doing that.”

Dawn’s fingers flexed. “Who said I wanted control?” She gasped as Connor grabbed her wrist and pulled it above her head to cuff it with her other one in one broad hand.

“Wish granted.” His mouth found hers as he pressed against her firmly and drove the breath from her lungs. Stars and sparks wheeled behind her eyes as she tried to adjust to the mouth that was quickly taking everything she had to give and more, without pausing to allow her a moment to find her balance. Her body strained against his as his other hand moved to cup her butt and press their pelvis’ firmly together as he rubbed against her sensitive flesh and she felt the flames of desire lick hotly at her centre.

Connor tore his mouth away from hers and made a wet trail down to her throat as he whispered hoarsely. “The first time I saw you I wanted to do this. I saw you standing over that dead demon at camp, hair all tousled with your skin glowing and your eyes laughing into mine and I wanted you naked.” Dawn bucked as he nipped at the skin where neck curved into shoulder. “Every time I’ve had you in my arms or beneath me since then all I’ve wanted is to take you like this.” His mouth moved back to hers as she gasped at the first touch of a hand cupping her breast. “You make me crazy and all I can think about when you get close to me is this.” Connor’s fingers plunged under her lacy bra and with one quick tug ripped the delicate clothing away. “I want to keep you like this forever, safe and warm next to me. I want to protect you.”

Dawn licked dry lips as she tried to gather her scattered senses, “Connor…I… I…” Her eyes blinked dazedly, “I don’t think…”

Connor’s fingers cupped her cheek and stroked over her bruised skin. “You never do.” In the dim light afforded by the moon streaming through the window he looked down at her still pale face and repeated quietly, “You never do. So impulsive, so reckless…So beautiful…” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “It drives me crazy. Sometimes I have to stop myself from just taking you and branding my claim on you for everyone to see.”

“What do you mean?” Dawn shifted restlessly as Connor’s voice deepened and his eyes drifted possessively over her face.

“I mean that I inherited more from my parents than good night vision and an occasional need for some supernatural speed.” Connor pushed his groin firmly against Dawn’s and smiled at her intake of breath. “I mean that Angel isn’t the only one to want his mate to recognise his power and possession of her. I mean that sometimes the only way I want you is beneath me and begging for mercy as I drain you of every bit of resistance and will.” Dawn’s eyes opened wide as he kissed her firmly and whispered against her slack mouth. “I mean this first time you get to do nothing but what I want you to do, because I really, really, need to know that I have the control here for once.”

Dawn managed to focus for a brief second. “I’m your mate?”

“In every way there is.” Connor’s eyes filled with love and he pressed his forehead against hers, as he looked deep in her eyes. “This is for life. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”

The world seemed to shrink to nothing but the violet eyes boring into hers as Dawn assimilated his words. Carlos’ death, Xander’s loss to the dimensional portal, Kit’s presence at Hogwarts was forgotten in the moment that she heard his low voice whisper forever to her. She didn’t care that she was seventeen, there were whole worlds out there that she could experience and explore, deep inside she felt something click into place and knew that whatever else happened this was true. She belonged to Connor, body and soul, for the rest of her life.

“Yes.” Dawn’s lips met Connor’s in a gentle kiss. “I know. This is forever.” She felt his hand release her wrists and pulled her arms down to wind around his neck and pull him closer as the kiss deepened.

Connor sighed into her mouth and gathered her closer, sinking his fingers into her hair and cradling her delicate skull in his hands. Sighs and whispers floated through the air as they spent long minutes reaffirming their love and desire for each other and then Connor rolled to bring Dawn on top of him and reached up to pull her top and tattered bra from her body.

Her small breasts glinted in the moonlight as he cupped the two mounds of flesh and then he sat abruptly to lick and suck gently at the soft flesh. Dawn bent her head and she pressed against the side of his neck as his warm breath and tongue trailed over his nipples and then she gasped as he curled his tongue around one dusky peak and tugged it gently into his mouth. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as he worried at the sensitive flesh and her mouth opened soundlessly to press against his shoulder while he ruthlessly drove her out of her mind.

Connor groaned as Dawn pressed against his crotch and began to rub in time with the pulling of his mouth at her breast and he ached to feel flesh against him instead of the material of their pants. Ignoring her murmur of protest he moved her off him and onto her back on the bed as he quickly tugged off her tattered jeans and white panties and then knelt above her to strip off his shirt. Dawn trailed hungry fingers across the smooth hardness of his chest and stomach as he flipped the catch on his pants and pushed them down his thighs along with his boxers as he moved over her again.

Connor’s eyes drifted shut as her hot touch sent reactionary chills down his spine and managed to work his pyjama bottoms off his legs and kick them to the floor. Although they had been naked together before there had never been the same awareness or urgency that there was now they knew they would finally be consummating their relationship. Every sense was heightened as they touched and tasted each other and the smell of their joint arousals was making Connor’s head spin in the cool of the room.

Dawn stroked along his torso and then slipped her hand to the crisp curls and his straining arousal. She paused and looked at him shyly, mindful of his earlier statements and Connor smiled gently as he nodded his permission. Warm fingers encircled him, startling him so much with their heat that he bucked hard once against her hand before he could stop himself. Dawn pressed her lips to his chest as he held himself on straining arms above her and mimicked his own actions as she swirled her tongue around his flat nipples. Connor hissed as he lost himself to the bliss of her fingers and mouth, fighting to bring his ‘demon side,’ as he called it, under control before he just plunged into her and took his own pleasure without any regard for her own.

Dawn smoothed her fingers over the silky steel in her hand and breathed in Connor’s unique scent. Musk, clean sweat and just the faintest hint of the sun were all mixed together in his pores and she licked and sucked at his chest as the pressure of her fingers increased and she began to move her hand faster against him. “Dawn!” Connor’s arms shook as he fought to bring himself under control and not explode in her hand and bring the moment to a premature close.

Dawn nipped at his nipple and thrilled at the dark whisper as he trembled against her, “Mmm?”

Connor put all his weight on one arm and gripped her wrist slightly with his free hand. “Stop.” Her mouth moved into a pout as he tugged her fingers away from him and the threat of immediate orgasm faded from a raging fire to a dull pounding in his groin. “Just for a while. I won’t be able to last if you do that.”

He pressed his knee between hers and sank down between her spread thighs. Dawn’s eyes widened as she felt him intimately against her most personal place for the first time and she couldn’t help the sudden wary tensing of her body. Connor braced himself on his elbows and stroked a hand through the hair that lay spread on the pillow around her head. “It’s alright. I won’t do anything until you’re ready.”

He determinedly forced his mind away from the slick, wet heat that pulsated against his naked flesh and instead concentrated on lulling his love into relaxing beneath him. Gentle fingers stroked along strands of hair as he whispered to her all the words of love that he stored inside him for the moments when she let herself lean against him and show her vulnerable side instead of the cocky, almost brash, exterior that was her usual mantle. He kept his hips still and concentrated on kissing his way around her face, teasing her lips until she sighed and began to relax into his touch. Connor concentrated on her neck for a while as her hands stroked delicately along the line of his back and made him tremble and then moved down until he suckled once more at her breasts. Dawn’s hands never ceased moving as she arched beneath him her fingers plucking restlessly at his hair as he increased the pressure of his mouth and re-ignited the desire inside her.

Connor smiled against her skin as she sighed his name and decided that before he thought about entering her there was one more thing he really needed to do. Dawn had only allowed him to taste her intimately once before, shortly before they had been caught using portals to meet up, and he had spent nights dreaming about the feel and taste of her against his tongue ever since. They had been pretty intimately involved one way or another for months but Dawn was inexperienced enough that she was deeply wary of letting Connor perform such intimate acts on her, particularly when she was yet to gain the confidence to do the same to him.

Connor breathed in her musky scent as she shifted restlessly beneath him and knew that as much as he wanted to do this for Dawn, he also really needed to do it for himself. He allowed his fingers to slip down to the apex of her thighs as he nipped at the underside of her breast and began to stroke her gently in the way he knew she loved as he slowly dragged his mouth over her ribs and worried at her other nipple with his other hand. The sight of her sprawled wantonly under him as she stared sightlessly at the ceiling above her was ambrosia to his eyes and he gave a smug, masculine smile as he bent to dip his tongue teasingly in her navel. Her stomach muscles tensed under his cheek and he squeezed his hand gently over her breast as his tongue began to skate over her lower abdomen. “Let me do this.” His fingers pressed against her entrance and stroked lightly at her inner walls for a moment. “Please. I really want to do this to you.”

Dawn stared at his dark shape looming over her in the moonlight. “Connor, I…”

He pressed a light kiss to the inside of her thigh and flicked his tongue against the skin as she hissed in startled pleasure. “Just let me do this and I’ll make it good for you, I promise.” He gave her a few seconds to form another protest, then nodded and pushed her thighs further apart until she lay completely exposed before him. Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to let him lie there and study her as he wanted while she was still so uncertain about her body’s beauty he regretfully promised himself a leisurely exploration at a later date and bent his head to flick out his tongue and press gently at her entrance.

Dawn’s eyes opened wide at the soft, wet touch and her hands flew instinctively to Connor’s head as she tried to wriggle away. Connor growled lightly in protest and ignored her weak attempts to move him, lapping gently at her flesh until her hands fell bonelessly to the bed and he could settle down to the wonderful task of discovering her body with his lips and tongue. He nudged her thigh with his shoulder, moving her legs even further apart and edged his tongue higher as he searched for the small hidden part of her that had her crying his name when he stroked her with his fingers.

Dawn cried out at the sudden stab of heat as Connor found the spot he was searching for and her mouth went dry as he drew slow circles around and around and had her breathlessly sobbing as the heat built within her to unbearable levels. Connor’s finger eased its way inside her and he began to move it backwards and forwards in slow time with his mouth and tongue as he brought Dawn to the very brink of her orgasm and then, by increasing the pressure of his tongue slightly, pushed her sobbing over the edge and into a maelstrom of sensation as his tongue lapped at the flood of juices from her and moved against the rippling flesh under his mouth.

When Dawn was finally calming from his assault on her, Connor raised his head and licked at his lips, savouring her taste and feel of her on his skin. She lay with her head to the side, chest heaving as she shivered with aftershock and he realised if he was going to take her the best time would be now when her body was lax with pleasure and she was still wet from his attentions.

Quickly he leaned over and opened the top draw of his bedside cabinet and withdrew the small box that he kept in his overnight bag, thoughtfully sent up by Harry earlier in the evening. Extracting one of the condoms that Gunn had given him before he left LA, he ripped open the foil packaging and clumsily sheathed himself in the slimy rubber. Connor cupped his hands under Dawn’s butt and raised her slightly off the bed. “Dawn, baby, do you still want me?” He refused to even think about what would happen if she said no and waited until her stunned eyes focused on him. “Do you still want me, love?” Dawn licked her dry lips and nodded, tensing nervously as she felt his head press against her and then begin to slip inside.

Connor moved slowly, gasping at the heat of her as she stretched around him and watched her face as he pushed his way in. Dawn bit her lip as her flesh burned and she was forced open as the hard length of him began to slip inside. Although his fingers had been inside her more than once, it was a very different sensation to the one of hard thickness that she was now experiencing and her eyes filled with uncomfortable tears as he pushed gently forward.

“Are you alright? Am I hurting you?” Connor froze as he scented her tears before he saw them shimmering in her eyes, “Do you want me to stop?”

Dawn shook her head and raised a hand to cup his cheek. “No. It just feels strange.” Her breath hitched as he began to move forwards again. “Will you come down here and let me hold you? I really want to hold you at the moment.”

Connor hastily covered her with his body as her voice trembled and gathered her close. “Ssh, it’s ok.” He kissed her temple lightly as her arms wound around his back, “I love you.”

Dawn gasped as he slipped further inside. “I love you, too. Just don’t let me go, ok?”

Connor flexed his hips and squeezed Dawn tightly as he pressed completely inside her. “I won’t. Hold onto me.” He held still for long moments and whispered nonsense in her ear as she adjusted to the feel of him inside her and the weight of him over her. When he felt the dreadful tenseness in her body begin to fade, Connor began to move slowly in and out of her as he took her mouth in long, slow kisses and continued to whisper words of love in a low voice.

Dawn was unable to believe that at last she and Connor were finally taking the final step in their physical relationship. Her muscles were still lax from the mind blowing orgasm that he had brought her too with his mouth and now, as the slow motions of his hips eased the last worries she had about the most intimate act from her mind, she felt a new kind of sensation start to flood her body.

It wasn’t orgasm, she might not be experienced but even she knew it took more than a poke with a penis to achieve that, especially the first time, but a liquid warmth enveloped her limbs and she found herself begin to drift as Connor stroked himself into to her time and time again with more tenderness and care than she would have believed possible. His hands were cradling her head gently as his mouth sipped from hers like her lips were the finest ambrosia and the feeling of love and almost reverent worship were combining to bring tears to her eyes with just the sheer joy of finally being taken by Connor Angel.

Connor kissed her face as a happy tear fell. “Are you sore?” He didn’t wait for her denial and whispered. “Hold on to me.” Dawn gasped with surprise as she found herself rolling with Connor still inside her and then she was lying on top of his chest looking down into his eyes. Connor cupped her surprised face. “I don’t want to hurt you. This way you can stop me if I go too fast or far.” He pushed gently at her shoulders until she sat straddling his hips and then his hands gripped her waist as he urged her to begin rocking gently against him.

Dawn bit her lip as she felt the depth of his penetration increase and rocked awkwardly against him. Connor kept his hands on her waist as Dawn tried to find her rhythm and stroked her skin as her internal muscles pulled and tugged at him insistently. He squeezed his eyes shut as she worked him and then arched up suddenly as he felt the unmistakable rush begin in the pit of his stomach. Dawn gasped as Connor’s fingers gripped her tightly and faltered in her movements as he began to piston his hips wildly up against her.

Connor couldn’t help the roar that burst from him and he gripped Dawn’s slim hips tightly enough to leave bruises as he bucked helplessly up into her and the world exploded into a confusion of sensation and brilliant colour. Dawn melted against his chest as he finally began to still, pushing her face into his neck as his arms caught her to him and threatened to squeeze the last of her breath from her. “God, I love you.” Connor’s chest heaved and he turned them swiftly to have Dawn under him as he peppered her exhausted face with kisses, “I love you so much.”

Dawn cuddled closer and smiled happily, “You’d better. I don’t think I can let you go after that.”

Connor laughed and kissed her forehead, “I was pretty special wasn’t I?” He laughed again as she socked him in the ribs and then rolled onto his back to dispose of the condom and bring her to nestle against his heart as he settled against the pillows. “Are you ok? I didn’t hurt you did I? I know it’s not meant to be great the first time.”

Dawn winced as she felt a slight twinge as she got comfortable but shook her head, ”I’m ok. I think I feel pretty good all things considered and as first times go it was pretty alright I think.” She blushed and mumbled against his skin. “I know that it’s harder for girls to, you know, and I wasn’t expecting you to do what you did for me.”

Connor squeezed her lightly and then laughed, “You want to know something funny?” He waited until he felt her nod and continued, “You remember when we were back in that basement with that insane ex of your sister’s and you said that the key had to be kept pure and stuff to still work?” Dawn giggled as she remembered his plaintive face and response and Connor reached down to pinch her ass lightly in punishment, “I was absolutely convinced that I was going to have to go through life celibate and never know what it was like to be with you like this.”

Dawn’s head came up off his shoulder, “What? Connor, that’s not funny, that’s terrible!” Her teeth flashed in the moonlight as she smiled dopily at him, “Or really, really sweet. Would you really never have sex again to be with me?”

“Of course. The term is ‘soulmates’ not ‘sexmates’, you know.” Connor met her eyes virtuously for a moment before laughing and confessing ruefully, “But I admit that I much prefer the way things turned out.”

Dawn giggled, “Me too.” She smothered a yawn and cuddled her head on his shoulder, “Can I stay here tonight?”

“I have the chains ready under the bed if you even think about leaving.”

Connor kissed the top of her head and then choked as Dawn replied sleepily, “Maybe next time, sweetie. G’night.”


	22. Chapter Nineteen

Fred skipped happily down the corridor that ran alongside the Infirmary, humming a happy tune to herself and idly contemplating breakfast. Her long hair tumbled down her back in a riotous mass of curls and her slender body was clothed in her habitual pants and baby-t. Although deeply concerned about the situation that had brought them to England, she was also quietly delighted that she was finally able to be reunited with Connor. The previous few days had been spent in miserable lethargy as they hoped and prayed for his return and then sheer misery when Angel and Cordelia had reluctantly given permission for him to be moved to London when all hope seemed to be lost for his recovery.

When Cordelia and Angel had exploded back into their guest quarters the previous night to announce Connor’s return from the great beyond, Fred and the others had been beside themselves with joy and it was only with the greatest reluctance that they had agreed to wait until the next day to see their boy. Fred had been awake since five, anxiously awaiting the first rays of dawn to touch her window and then minute the sky had lightened she had slipped out from beside the sleeping Gunn and into her clothes.

Fred searched the doors as she moved along the passageway and beamed as she saw the name Angel, Connor glowing gold in the weak light. She turned the handle quietly, not wanting to disturb him if he was asleep, and went inside noiselessly. The thick curtains were drawn across the windows and she could just make out the huddled shape of a body on the bed in the light from the flickering fire in the grate. Tiptoeing silently across the room, Fred promised herself just a reassuring look at Connor as he slept; possibly a quick kiss, and then she’d go and wake Gunn and Wesley for breakfast. When she reached the side of the bed, Fred peeped over the huddled mass of covers and frowned disapprovingly at the mass of hair spread over the pillow. When she had taken her turn in trying to wake Connor up in the main hospital wing, his hair had looked a little longer than was normal but nowhere near this length. Fred tutted quietly, it was nearly as long as her own hair and she was…a…girl.

Fred clapped a hand over her mouth just in time to stop the startled squeak as she realised she was looking at a girl. A very specific girl. Dawn Summers. Who was cuddled up in bed with Connor Angel. Fred cautiously eased the covers back to uncover Dawn’s shoulder and gave another muffled squeak of horror. Dawn Summers was cuddled up in bed with Connor Angel and apparently both of them were as naked as jaybirds. Backtracking away from the bed, Fred’s eyes were huge in her face. This wasn’t good; this wasn’t good at all.

She finally bumped up against the door, fumbled for the handle and then staggered out. Fred stood staring at the door for a moment then turned to slump against it with a low moan…and jumped a mile when she looked straight into Spike’s curious blue eyes. “Aaah!” Fred clutched at her throat, her eyes bugging wide in panicked horror at the sight of Dawn’s adopted father. Dawn’s lean, mean, throat-ripping-out machine of an adopted father. “Spike!”

“Fred.” Spike nodded as the thin girl stared at him with terror filled eyes. “You alright, luv?”

“Um…yes…why shouldn’t I be alright?” Fred blinked like a deer caught in the headlights of a Mack truck. “I’m fine.”

Spike eyed her warily. “You seem…” He looked her up and down deciding tense was completely the wrong adjective to use when referring to the rigidity of her body. “Loopier than usual. Connor alright is he?”

“Oh, fine, fine.” Fred nodded vigorously and waved her hand. “Just…fine.”

“Right. Need to see ‘im about somethin’ Dru said.” Spike cocked his head to the side and studied her for a moment before shrugging. “Well, I’m just going to…” He reached past Fred for the door handle and she plastered herself against the wood.

“NO!” Spike stepped back and Fred shook her head emphatically. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Connor’s very…tired. He’s very…Asleep, he’s asleep! As in not awake.” She took a deep breath and smiled encouragingly at the vampire. “You should go.”

Spike’s face darkened in suspicion. “What’s goin’ on?” He scowled ominously and then sniffed the air. “I can smell you’re lyin’ about something,’ Taco-Belle.” Fred watched in horror as Spike’s face went rigid with fury. “An’ I can smell sex. Is Dawn in there?”

Fred put her hands against Spike’s chest and shoved him as hard as she could when he sprang towards her. “NO!” She plastered herself back against the door once more. “No, Dawn’s not in there…” Spike’s eyes flashed yellow and he growled warningly as Fred yelled desperately. “And neither is Connor!”

The frantic yell brought Spike up short. “What?”

Fred nodded earnestly. “It’s true. Connor’s not in there. The um, the sex is um… well…”

“Is me.” Charles Gunn loped up the stone corridor and waved a wooden stake warningly at Spike. “Step off, Sir Broods-less. She’s mine.”

“I can smell Dawn…” Spike’s eyes flashed yellow again and his teeth flashed threateningly.

“Ye-ees, because Fred just went to tell her that she could move Connor back in before anyone got up. He offered to stay the night in the dorm last night and give Fred and me a little quality time, y’know? Bunkin’ with Wes and Angel ain’t exactly helping me get all romantic.’” Gunn winked at Spike and then for good measure winked at the horrified face of Fred. “You made sure everythin’s all neat as a pin, baby?” Fred nodded dumbly. “Cool. Let’s go get some breakfast. I sure worked up an appetite last night.” With another broad wink at Spike Gunn gripped Fred’s arm and tugged her away from the door. Leaving Spike staring after them Gunn hustled his girlfriend away from the vampire and down the corridor.

“Ch…Charles, Connor and…” Fred yelped as Gunn squeezed her arm tightly and practically lifted her off the floor one-handed. They rounded the corner and out of Spike’s sight. “But Charles…”

“We bought the horny little bastard some time, Fred. That’s all anyone can do.” Gunn broke into a jog. “If he had any sense the minute he heard Spike talking to you, he woulda locked his fool ass inside that room and got Dawn to portal her butt the hell outta there.” He broke into a full out run as a distant crash sounded behind them, consistent with a vampire bouncing off a heavy wooden door, and a bellow of rage. “Let’s go eat.”

  
  
  
  


* * *

Ginny and Kit were sitting talking quietly on Ginny’s bed when a wild-haired Dawn burst through their bedroom door like the hounds of hell were after her and dove for her bedside cabinet. The two girls sat open-mouthed as Dawn feverishly rummaged through the cupboard and then snatched her overnight bag with a shout of relief. Without glancing at either Ginny or Kit she flung open her wardrobe and grabbed fresh robes and school uniform before turning and running back through the door. Ginny turned to Kit. “What was tha…” She looked around as Dawn sprinted through the door again and then raced round the room grabbing every perfume and toiletry aid she could find before legging it back through the door. There was a silence of a few moments and then a scream from Hermione who was taking an early morning bath and was seriously surprised by Dawn Summers kicking down the bathroom door in her haste to get under a shower.

Kit looked at Dawn’s undisturbed bed and a look of understanding showed on her face as she looked around the perfume free room and put a Sunnydale two and two together. “Oh!” Kit began to giggle as Ginny shot her a look of utter confusion. “She spent the night with Connor.” As Ginny looked even more perplexed Kit began to laugh harder. “And she so got busted. Spike’s gonna kill her, there’s not enough perfume in the world to stop him smelling Connor on her.”

Ginny nodded as she caught up. “Oh. I see.” She smiled happily. “I’m so glad.” Ginny’s cheeks flushed a light pink. “Do you think she knows she forgot to put her clothes back on?”

Kit fell sideways onto the bed as her giggles overtook her completely. “Oh God, I hope not. I just wish we had a camera.”

The girls turned as a light knock sounded at their door. Harry smiled shyly at Kit. “Hi. Um, Dawn’s dad is downstairs and he’s asking for her. Is she in the shower?” He frowned as Ginny’s blush deepened and Kit began to gasp for breath. “What? What’s so funny?”

  
  


* * *

When Dawn was finally persuaded out of the shower, smelling like she’d been spent the last few hours fermenting in a florist’s, Buffy and Willow had arrived to meet Dawn for breakfast and had been filled in on the situation by a livid Spike. Hermione had taken one sniff of Dawn when she came down the stairs and had flung open the windows to the common room, completely disregarding the heavy rain outside and the brisk wind, and then shepherded the rest of the house out of the room in short order, leaving Dawn to explain why she stank of dead roses and had had been sighted by no less than five different people in panties and tattered vest top as she frantically portalled all over the castle trying to get from Connor’s room to her own ahead of Spike.

Buffy fixed serious hazel eyes on her sister and tried to stay upwind of the truly incredible smell emanating from her. “Sweetie, it’s not the fact that you spent the night with Connor…”

Spike glowered from across the room where he had been forced to retreat in self-defence as his nose throbbed from Dawn’s counter-measures. “Yes it is! That’s exactly the bloody point!”

Buffy cast a dark look over her shoulder at her mate and then included Willow who was trying to keep a straight face as she stood by the fire. “Shut up, Spike. You’re not helping.” She turned back to Dawn. “It’s the fact that you tried to hide it from us.”

Dawn glanced uneasily at Spike who was muttering to himself in the corner and making alarming clenching motions with his hands as though imagining throttling someone. “What was I supposed to do? Stick my head round the door last night and say ‘Hey guys, just thought I’d let you know, I’m off to get laid. Catch you later!’” She fixed her sister with a pitying look as Spike snarled viciously in the corner. “I can see that would have gone real well.”

“I’m not saying that either.” Buffy bit her lip and obviously chose her next words carefully. “It’s just the last few days haven’t been easy on you and Connor and I wasn’t wild about the idea of leaving you alone with him last night when you were just visiting, if I’d have thought for one single solitary second that you were gonna…”

Dawn held up a hand. “Stop right there. Me and Connor aren’t you and Angel.” A small smile flickered across her face. “For a start my boyfriend went evil and I had to kill him before we slept together.” She took Buffy’s hands in hers and squeezed as her sister blinked back tears. “I know this must be weird for you on some level, but at the same time I know this is right. Connor makes me happy.” Dawn looked past Buffy to Spike and smiled lovingly at his surly face. “He makes me Spike happy, not Angel or Riley happy.”

Spike tried to hang on to his scowl at her words but in the end settled for curling his lip and scuffing his boot angrily on the floor. “I thought we agreed not to mention that pillock’s name again.”

Dawn grinned and nodded apologetically. “Sorry.” She looked back at Buffy. “If I was any other seventeen year old then I’d say you were right, this isn’t normal and I shouldn’t be this invested in one boy.” Dawn sighed and rolled her eyes wearily. “But I’m not normal. Connor’s not normal. No one else in the entire world is going to get us like we get each other. All the stuff that’s happened to us proves that life moves pretty fast and I’m not going to give up the one thing that has my world making sense just because of some stupid numbers.” She smiled brilliantly and finished simply. “I love him.”

The only sound in the room for a moment was of Willow and Buffy sniffing back tears at Dawn’s declaration and then Spike sighed heavily. “Bleedin’ hell, I’m not even gonna get to kick his poncey little arse just once am I?”

Dawn shook her head. “Nope. Not even once.” She stood and crossed to Spike, who made a concentrated effort to ignore the over-powering stench of flowers emanating from her, and kissed his cheek. “Not even a little bit.”

Spike looked into her serene eyes and shook his head. “Fine. But when he decides that he wants to claim you proper like, then I’m gonna make him bleedin’ work for my say-so.” His eyes narrowed as Dawn flushed guiltily and he roared. “He’s bloody claimed you hasn’t he? He’s already bloody done it!”

Dawn stepped back as vamp spit flew all around her and coughed uncomfortably. “You need permission for that? Seriously?” She looked round at Buffy. “Did you get permission for that? Nobody told me I needed permission for that.”

  
  


* * *

When Dawn, her sister, her sister’s smirking best friend and her sister’s really, really annoyed vampire finally joined the others for breakfast it was evident that the good news had been spread to one and all. Angel looked like he was sitting on a crucifix and sucking a lemon soaked in holy water, Cordelia was staring with misty eyes at Connor one minute and then biting her lip in concern the next, Fred and Gunn were darting guilty looks at everyone and Wes and Giles were both sitting with sober faces and also apparently sharing Angel’s crucifix. Connor sat between Harry and Ron and looked up with a wide beaming smile as Dawn walked to their table. He stood and moved to take her in his arms. “Ok?” A deeply distressed look crossed his face. “What’s that smell?”

Dawn nodded sheepishly. “Yeah, we’re all ok. And the smell would be me.” She wrapped her arms around him tightly and nuzzled into the curve of his neck with a sigh of sheer happiness as Spike snarled behind her. “Obviously Spike needs a little time.”

Connor stopped breathing through his nose and pressed his lips to Dawn’s hair as he met Spike’s eyes, flashing wildly between yellow and blue in his agitation. “I’ll take care of her. And did you have to dip her in boyfriend repellent?”

Spike curled his lip. “She did that to herself, like. And take care of her? Yeah, right.” He gestured to Dawn’s face and battered body. “You’ve been doin’ a bleedin’ fantastic job so far, pup.”

Dawn opened her mouth to pithily inform the two most important men in her life that she didn’t need anyone to take care of her, but Buffy’s hand touched her arm gently and the Slayer shook her head and whispered. “It’s a guy thing. Let Spike have this, at least.” She grinned. “Think of it as his way of walking you down the aisle.” Dawn rolled her eyes but obediently walked away with Buffy as Connor and Spike squared off at each other behind her.

Willow giggled lightly at the pained expression on Angel’s face as Dawn approached and decided the supernaturally powered amongst them had suffered enough. With a quick wave of her hand and a muttered a charm she had Dawn’s natural scent restored and Angel’s everlasting gratitude, the overpowering scent of dead flowers was gone and everyone was, literally, breathing easier.

Hermione and Kit moved up to allow Dawn to squeeze onto their bench between them and Hermione gestured the toast in her hand at Spike and Connor. “Will they be ok?”

Dawn reached for her own piece of toast and smiled hesitantly at Angel as he handed her the plate. After a moment he smiled back, but his eyes and face were tense with worry as he looked back at his son. Dawn bit her lip and then turned to answer Hermione, making sure her voice carried clearly down the table. “They’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.” She grinned sheepishly at Hermione. “I kinda got married last night.”

Hermione had just taken a mouthful of pumpkin juice to wash down the last of her toast and promptly choked as she tried to yell in surprise and swallow at the same time. Dawn patted her frantically on the back as the other girl went a very worrying colour and dribbled most unattractively down her chin and over her robes. “Vamp married, I got vamp married!”

Gunn’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit! I thought they just boinked.” He yelped as Fred dug a bony elbow into his side and glared at her. “What? You did too!”

Harry and Ron sat frozen in astonishment as Kit squealed and threw her arms around Dawn. “He claimed you? Congratulations!” She smiled sheepishly at the English teenagers as they exchanged gob smacked looks. “It’s a Sunnydale thing.”

Dawn returned Kit’s hug and blushed lightly. “We claimed each other.” She touched a hand to her wounded shoulder and smiled. “Already did the blood thing, just needed to make it official.” Dawn snuck a look at Angel and Cordelia. “Connor explained it to you guys, right? You know that we know what we’re doing?”

Cordelia returned Dawn’s smile. “Of course, sweetie. It’s just…” She gestured helplessly. “You’re so young.”

Connor sauntered over and placed his hands on Dawn’s shoulders as she leaned back into him. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is we found each other and we’re staying together.” His face hardened as he looked around the silent table and then at Spike. “Nothing will take her away from me.”

All eyes were on Spike in the breathless silence that followed and he drew the moment out before giving a sharp nod of approval. “Now that’s a claim. She’s all yours, pup.” His expression was bittersweet as he looked at Dawn and grinned. “May God have mercy on your soul.”

Dawn scowled. “Hey!” Before she could form another word a throat cleared behind her. The table turned as one and stared silently at some twenty Aurors that stood in a loose semi-circle blocking their view of the rest of the hall. Dawn shot an anxious look at Harry and Ron as she climbed hurriedly to her feet. “This doesn’t look good.”

Ginny took another hurried bite of toast as she stood up. “If I have to get in another fight before I’ve finished breakfast I’m going to be really annoyed.” She frowned as she caught sight of the hall being hurriedly emptied of other people over the Auror’s shoulders and looked indignantly at Hermione. “I was joking!”

Hermione wiped sticky pumpkin juice off her chin and stealthily palmed her wand. “I don’t think they are.”

Dawn and Connor stood shoulder to shoulder as Buffy took a fast pace forward and put her hands on her hips. “What’s going on?” She looked calmly at the rank of wizards and saw Spike and Angel slip to her left and Cordelia, Fred and Gunn moved to cover the right. Giles and Wesley came up behind her to stand in silent support at her back. “What do you want?”

The wizards parted silently to show Cornelius Fudge standing clutching a rolled piece of parchment and then moved just as silently to close ranks again behind him. The Minister of Magic sniffed and unrolled his parchment. “By order of the English Ministry of Magic, I hereby order the immediate arrest and detainment of Harry Potter, Ronald Jonathan Weasley, Hermione Jane Granger, Virginia Helena Weasley, Dawn Summers, Connor Angel and…” He faltered for a moment as he looked at Kit but then finished firmly. “And companion. You will surrender your wands and any weapons immediately and give yourself into the custody of the Aurors.”

Dawn glared. “Oh, this is getting way old.”

Ron curled his hands into fists and leaned forward to brace them on the table. “What the bloody hell are you talking about, Fudge? On what sodding charges?”

The little man drew himself up to his full height, two inches below Buffy in stocking feet, and flushed with self-importance and anger. “Mis-use of dark magic, attacking official Ministry personnel, apparating without licenses, again, the abduction of an official ward of St Mungo’s hospital, consorting with and abetting demons, contributing to the deaths of several students and one professor…” He sneered at the silent group before him, confidence bolstered by the twenty wands pointed at Harry and his friends. “Would you like me to go on?”

Giles groaned. “Actually, I beg you to stop.” He grabbed Buffy’s arm as she tensed to spring at Fudge. “No! That will not help, Buffy.”

“Don’t worry, Buff, I got it.” Willow smiled serenely and spread her hands to the side. “Just hang on to something.”

Dawn shivered as she suddenly felt the unmistakeable crackle of serious mystical power. “Willow…”

“Cornelius!” Professor Dumbledore strode through the Aurors with a smile and Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall at his back. “There you are, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” The benevolent smile washed over Dawn and then others with a twinkle of his blue eyes before resting back on the Minister. “The room you requested is prepared. Miss Rosenberg, I’m afraid I must insist that you remain calm for a few moments longer, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for the situation.”

Spike hooked a strong hand in the back of Dumbledore’s robes and jerked the old man’s face down to his. “You fuckin’ bastard. You nearly get them killed, disappear for fuckin’ days so I can’t kill you and now you want to fuckin’ arrest them?” The smooth complexion of Spike’s human face disappeared as his demon one came forth. “I’m gonna bleed you dry, old man.”

“Spike, no!” Dawn pushed past Giles and Wesley and hooked an arm around Spike’s throat. “Let him go!” She pulled with all her might on Spike’s neck. “Just…let…him…go!” Spike snarled and then reluctantly let himself be dragged back and shoved to Angel’s side. Dawn shook her head at her sister and the others, particularly Willow. “Just stand down, ok? Give me a minute here.” Another few moments passed but slowly people relaxed their tense bodies. Dawn nodded and looked at Dumbledore. “Sir?”

Professor Dumbledore’s eyes shone with humility for a moment at the calm, trusting look in Dawn’s eyes and then he laid a hand on her shoulder as he looked at the rest of her house. “Miss Summers, we have been called to appear before a gathering of the wizard’s council and Mr Fudge to explain ourselves and our actions.” His blue eyes were expressionless as they looked at Ron and Harry and held up his wrists, bound by golden chains and indicated with his head his own escort of Aurors. “Myself, Professor Snape, Mr Malfoy and your good selves are required to attend and present our case before the council and other interested influential parties that the full truth may be known.” A brief smile shone through the white beard. “The time has come for us to reveal our true colours. I ask that you follow Mr Fudge’s orders and decrees to the letter.”

Dawn glanced over her shoulder at Connor and then at the rest of her friends. One by one all eyes turned to Ron and they waited silently for his word. Dumbledore and Ron locked eyes for nearly a full minute before Ron nodded and reached into his pocket and drew out his wand. He extended his forearm and laid the thin wood formally on his sleeve as he bowed. “Mr Fudge, my wand.”

Connor smiled reassuringly at Angel and then reached behind his back to pull out a long dagger from a sheath at the base of his spine. A quick jerk of his arms had his wrist stakes flying out of his sleeves and then he reached under his robes and produced a collapsible crossbow and a short broad sword. Ron and Harry handed over their wands and copied Connor to produce four more stakes, another crossbow and a small axe between them. Hermione, fighting a hysterical giggle at the looks of incredulous shock on the Aurors’ faces as the pile of lethal weapons on the table grew, laid her wand on the table and bent to unsheathe the dagger she carried strapped to her ankle, the stake she had strapped to her thigh and the two she wore in a shoulder holster. Ginny stared belligerently at Fudge for a moment and then rolled her eyes in annoyance and grudgingly handed over three stakes, one small axe, a length of heavy chain from around her waist and a dagger. Kit reluctantly handed over her stake and a small knife and then glared as Connor reached over and tugged out the onyx chopsticks holding her hair in a bun and revealed two needle sharp stiletto blades. “Traitor.”

Dawn divested herself of two stakes, a dagger, another crossbow and a silver knuckleduster. She squeezed Buffy’s arm as she opened her mouth to protest and said quietly. “No, this is our fight.” She winked briefly as an Auror took her little white wand and grabbed her wrists to clap a golden pair of manacles around them. “It’ll be ok, just trust us.” Buffy looked at Angel and Spike as they both snarled ominously and then back at her younger sister. Dawn watched as Hermione and Ginny were cuffed and repeated urgently. “Trust us, Buffy.”

Reluctantly the Slayer nodded and moved hurriedly to help Cordelia with Angel and Spike as they vamped out. Connor eyed the Auror chaining him grimly and then looked pointedly at Dawn. “You know what I said about the chains last night?” Dawn grinned questioningly. “I was kidding, sweetie.”

Dawn waggled her eyebrows. “Yeah?” She sighed gloomily as the Aurors began to move them towards the exit. “Turns out I wasn’t.”

Angel watched as his son and his friends were led off and then looked at the glittering array of weapons left behind on the table. “How the hell did they manage to carry that lot around and still stay upright?”

  
  
  
  


* * *

None of the veteran Hogwarts students were overly surprised to see that they were led to the seventh floor and down to the corridor that housed the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy’s battered end by trolls. Harry cocked an eyebrow at Ginny as they were marched along side-by-side. “The Room of Requirement.”

Ginny, occupied with trying to tread on the back of Minister Fudge’s robes as they walked closely behind him and therefore garrotte the little creep, grunted and didn’t deign to look up. “Great.”

Ron, marching alongside Hermione, poked Harry in the back and hissed. “What do you reckon our chances are of changing the ‘requirements’ when we go in?”

Harry grinned. “Not much. Anyway I thought you said we’d go along with this?”

“Yeah.” Ron smiled bracingly at the white-faced Hermione and slipped her a wink. “That was before I came to my senses and remembered that Dumbledore has single-handedly been responsible for us all nearly dying more times than I’ve had hot dinners.”

Connor gave an impressed whistle behind Ron as he walked between Dawn and Kit. “Damn. That’s a lot of hot dinners.” He nudged Kit as she trudged silently at his side. “Ron can eat more than all of us combined.”

The dark-haired girl summoned a brief smile but then returned to her gaze to the floor. Connor exchanged a worried look with Dawn and she leant around him to whisper. “Don’t worry, Kit, it’ll be ok. I promise.” Kit gave another brief smile but didn’t reply. Dawn straightened up and leaned towards Connor to whisper. “Keep her close. Are you up for a fight if it comes to it?”

Connor blinked in wounded indignation. “When have I ever been not ready for a fight?”

Dawn patted his arm placating. “Good point. I’m sorry.” She twisted her head round and caught a glimpse of the American contingent bringing up the rear behind the Aurors surrounding them. “Spike and Angel do not look happy.”

Connor glanced back and grinned. “Colour me stunned. They’ll be ok; I could hear Mom and Buffy warning them not to do anything stupid on the way up here. They’re under pain of torture, death and no smoochies for the rest of the year if they say one thing out of place.” He smirked. “It was the no smoochies that cut the deal.”

Dawn laughed and then quietened as an impressive door on the right was opened and they began to file through. Her first impression was one of great space and height. Flickering torches lit the walls above the heads of hundreds and hundreds of people stacked into tiered seating before them, all along the wall to the right and also behind them. Against the left wall was a large wooden dock, with steps ascending to its base some four feet off the stone paved floor. Before the dock was a comfortable looking chair on a raised plinth that Mr Fudge marched towards as Harry and Ginny were forced to lead their friends towards the dock.

Connor smirked at the highly disgruntled figure of Draco Malfoy already seated there as an Auror unlocked his chains and pushed him up the steps. “Hey, Draco. How’s it going?”

Draco looked pointedly at the wizards and witches occupying the spectators’ gallery and then at the Aurors lined up at the base of the dock and commented dryly. “Actually, by your standards, wonderfully well. No one’s tried to kill or cripple me for a whole nine hours. I think it must be some kind of record.” He cleared his throat awkwardly as Ginny brushed past him without speaking and took a seat two chairs away. “Good morning, Ginny.”

Ginny glanced at him and then turned to begin a low conversation with Hermione. Connor grinned at his friend and took the seat next to Ginny as Dawn sat down between him and Malfoy. Draco nodded briefly to Dawn and then was left staring speechlessly at her as she brushed a light kiss over his cheek. “Morning, Draco. Sleep ok?” She smiled at his stunned look and nudged him familiarly in the ribs. “Don’t panic, I don’t have cooties or anything.” The smile dropped from her face as she caught sight of Drusilla standing in a large cage at the far end of the dock, wearing heavy looking iron manacles. “Hey, there’s Dru!”

Drusilla smiled at Connor and Dawn as they made to stand up again and gave them a broad wink. “Rest easy, dearies, all shall be well.”

Dawn gripped the wooden rail of the dock and snarled angrily. “They’ve got you in a cage, Dru. That’s never good.” She twisted her head around to look for Spike and Angel and saw them staring at Drusilla and exchanging heated words. “Do you want me to get the guys to bust you out?”

“Oh no.” Dru smiled and shook her chains. “They make such a pretty noise. Sit down, beloved, your granny is quite well.” She pursed her lips and blew a kiss to Dawn as the young girl hesitated. “Sit, little one.” Dawn looked indecisively at Connor and then with one more anxious look at Dru, took her seat.

“Ahem.” Minister Fudge smacked the arm of his chair with a little hammer. “I call this emergency session of the Wizard’s Council to order.” He waited until the room quietened and then glared piercingly at the people in the dock. “We call the first of the accused, Professor Albus Dumbledore.”

Connor leaned towards Ginny. “We? Who’s we?” He followed Ginny’s pointing finger and saw a row of five serious looking elderly wizards and witches almost hidden behind Fudge’s chair. “Oh.”

Harry watched as Professor Dumbledore stood and beamed merrily at Fudge and the silent ranks of wizards. “Good morning!” The old man stood tall and unconcerned in the dock and then started to wave up into the spectators’ gallery. At least half waved back.

“Dumbledore! You will show the due respect and reverence to these proceedings.” The Minister glared up at the wizards waving at the old man. “Stop that!”

Dumbledore looked surprised and combed casual fingers through his beard. “But of course, Cornelius. I intend to show this gathering the exact measure of respect I feel it deserves.” He winked mischievously at Hermione and waved up to the gallery again without missing a beat. “Molly, dear, I trust you slept well?”

Mrs Weasley looked up from watching her knitting and smiled at the headmaster. “Quite well, thank you, Albus. Ron, Ginny, have you all got clean handkerchiefs?” She squinted across the room disapprovingly. “Harry dear, I really do think you might have brushed your hair.”

Fudge banged his hammer on the arm of his chair again. “Mrs Weasley, unless you wish to find yourself in the dock with your offspring I suggest you remain silent!” He flushed as Molly looked at him then sniffed and returned to her knitting without deigning to respond to his order. Ginny and Ron grinned proudly at each other as Harry licked his fingers and tried to smooth down his hair. Fudge cleared his throat. “Professor Dumbldore, you stand accused of allowing muggle children into Hogwarts School without informing any but a select few of their situation, endangering the lives and directly contributing to deaths of several students, ignoring missives from the Ministry regarding the situation with the Dark Lord and shamelessly encouraging lawlessness and disrespect towards myself and the rest of the ministry within your student body. How do you plead?”

“Guilty, guilty and guilty.” Dumbledore’s pronouncement sent shock waves around the room and the room was alive with protests and outraged shouts.

Ron caught Connor’s eye. “Uh-oh.” He slanted a look at his headmaster and then sunk his head into his hands with a moan. “We’re buggered.” Hermione tsked at his language but patted his arm as she looked worriedly between the dignified figure of Professor Dumbledore and that of Fudge, practically bouncing in his chair with malicious happiness.

“I see.” Fudged peered over his half-moon spectacles, his nose twitching like a rabbit’s. “Have you anything to say in your defence?”

Professor Dumbledore clasped his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels. “Oh, I hardly think that’s necessary, do you Cornelius?” He pursed his lips thoughtfully. “I believe my actions will speak for themselves.”

“Very well.” Fudge banged his hammer on the arm of the chair and nodded a couple of Aurors at the base of the dock. “Remove Professor Dumbldore from this courtroom and have him transferred to Azkaban to await formal trial and sentencing.”

Dumbledore held up a thin finger. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Cornelius. I am here as a representative and advisor for the accused students as well as to answer for my own alleged crimes.” He peered over his own spectacles with a small smile. “You surely weren’t going to leave them undefended in your court?”

In the short silence that followed, Harry began to smile.

“What?” Fudge opened and shut his mouth and then, alerted by the unhappy murmurings from the public gallery, blustered. “Of course not! This court will be conducted in a fair and even manner, that…”

“Capital!” Dumbledore beamed at the discomforted Minister and turned to nod to Severus Snape. “I am, of course, assuming that Professor Snape stands accused of much the same crimes as myself?” Fudge glanced at the charge sheet in his hand and nodded warily; clearly suspicious of whatever Dumbledore was going to say next. “Well, shall we just take it as read that Severus will be pleading guilty along with myself and that he will be only too happy to surrender himself to your Aurors’ keeping once his duties to his house member have been discharged?” Dumbledore clapped his hands together briskly and nodded to Snape to follow him as he made his way from the dock. “We’ll be seated just over here. Too many accused spoil the trial, you know.”

“House member?” Fudge sputtered indignantly as the two men made their way from the dock as the Aurors stood around in confusion and made their way to the public gallery. “What house member?”

“Ahem.” The quiet clearing of the throat had all eyes turning back to the dock and to the annoyed face of Draco Malfoy. He pointed to his chest where the badge of Slytherin shone against the black of his robes and then raised an eloquent eyebrow at the court. “That would be me. I realise it can be difficult to focus on the lesser mortals when the wonderful Potter is in the room, Mr Fudge, but in the interest of a fair hearing I really must insist we all get the same treatment.” Draco folded his arms across his chest and rolled his eyes to the ceiling as he muttered under his breath. “Pillock.”

Ron grinned and nudged Harry. “Y’know, aside from the whole Death Eater/slimy git thing, he really starts to grow on you after a while.” Harry, smarting from Draco’s crack about his fame, grunted and glared at the blond boy.

Draco looked disgusted. “You take that back right now, I don’t grow on anyone!”

Dawn patted his arm consolingly. “I think he meant like mould.”

Looking slightly mollified, Draco shot one more annoyed look at Ron. “He’d better do.”

Dumbledore seated himself in the front row of the gallery next to the severe figure of Professor McGonagall and waved a hand at Fudge as Snape seated himself with a glower and flurry of robes. “Carry on, Cornelius. I took the liberty of enquiring what I can expect for lunch at Azkaban and I understand it’s a rather runny gruel.” He gave a jolly smile. “I’m quite looking forward to it.”

Fudge gave the beaming headmaster a poisonous look. “Very well, Albus, although I must insist that your input into these proceedings remains limited to advising your students. I will not tolerate any further rabble-rousing or inflammatory actions on your behalf.”

Dumbledore waved an unconcerned hand through the air. “Quite right. Proceed.”

The Minister gave the other man another glare and then turned his attention back to the students in the dock. “We’ll start with Mr Angel.” Fudge peered over his glasses. “What is your relationship with the accused?”

Connor looked at the Minister and then at the line of people standing beside him. “Which one?” He pointed helpfully to the range of suspects. “Only there’s quite a few and I don’t want to get the wrong one.”

Ginny stifled a giggle and saw Hermione hastily bring a hand to her mouth and fake a cough as she smothered a laugh of her own. Mr Fudge glared at Connor. “Are you trying to make a mockery of this court, Mr Angel?”

“No, sir.” Connor looked shocked and shook his head. “You’re doing that quite well on your own without any help from me, sir.”

It took a moment for the insult to register but when it did, Connor and the others had the satisfaction of seeing the Minister go purple in under three seconds and momentarily lose his voice from rage. Connor grinned and waved to his dad as Angel made valiant attempts to keep his own face straight.

Fudge took several moments to get himself under control and then hissed barely audibly. “Your relationship with Miss Summers. Clarify your relationship with Miss Summers.”

It was on the tip of Connor’s tongue to ask the Minister to speak up but he reluctantly decided that would be pushing his already shaky luck. “Mate.”

“I beg your pardon?” Mr Fudge sneered. “Do you mean friend? You need to be clear for our records.” He gestured to the frantically scratching quill that was recording their every word faithfully.

Connor sneered back and did a considerably better job of it. “No, I mean mate. As in life partner.”

Fudge sniffed. “I see.” He shot a disapproving look at the gallery where Buffy and the others sat and then carried on. “Very well. Now perhaps you’d like to explain how you were…”

Connor leaned forward. “And niece.”

Fudge abruptly lost his place in the conversation. “Pardon?”

“And niece.” Connor pointed to his expressionless girlfriend and continued earnestly. “Dawn. Also my niece. Well, technically my great-niece, because otherwise the whole mate thing would be…tacky, but still, niece. Is that specific enough for you?” Up in the gallery Giles dropped his head into his hands with a small, heartfelt groan.

“She…she…you’re related?” The Minister stared incredulously between the two brunettes.

Connor nodded. “Oh yeah.” He pointed up to Angel. “See, that’s my dad.” Angel waved. “Drusilla’s his childe, which makes her my sister.” Dru dropped a curtsey and clanked her chains. “Spike’s her childe.” Spike flipped Fudge the bird and got slapped by Willow. “And he claimed Dawn as his childe a couple of years back, which makes her my great-niece.” Connor smiled and finished merrily. “It’s all very simple really.”

Dawn peered at the blurring quill and asked politely. “Did you get all that or would you like him repeat it again slowly?”

“But…but…” Minister Fudge stared wildly between Connor and the Californian group either smirking or glaring at him. “But…you…the Slayer…”

Connor shook his head. “Oh, I’m not related to her. Well, not by blood anyway. That one’s my mom.” He pointed to Cordelia who glowered at the little man on the plinth. “My dad claimed her as his mate. My birth mom died having me. She was also my grandmother.” Connor paused and thought for a moment.

“Although, technically, she was sired by Drusilla as well so that would also make her my niece. Buffy’s only related to me because she’s Spike’s mate. You remember, he’s my nephew.” Willow grabbed for Spike’s hand but wasn’t quick enough to prevent another defiant flick of his fingers as Fudge looked dazedly up at him. Connor paused and cocked his head to one side as another thought occurred. “Although I believe Dad did claim Buffy way back in the day. I suppose she’s also kinda my sister. Or is it another mother?” Connor looked worriedly up at the gallery. “Does that one still count? Only if it counts, then that makes Dawn my niece, my aunt and my sorta sister.”

Dawn looked alarmed. “Eww. That’s not good.” She looked at Ginny who was screwing up her nose and eyeing Connor with distaste. “I am SO not being his sister.”

“Si…sis…sister?” Fudge was looking more distressed by the moment. “Miss Summers is now your sister?”

Connor looked up at Angel, Buffy, Giles and Wesley who had gone into an urgent huddle as Spike and Cordelia tried to work out the family history on their fingers. “Um, possibly. Give us a minute.” He watched his father for a few moments and then slapped a hand on the dock. “Wait, I think it’s ok. Dad’s claim was kinda accidental, I think.” Giles and co looked around hopefully with Buffy and Angel nodding vigorously in agreement. “And Dad’s claim on Mom and Spike’s claim on Buffy was made with everybody knowing exactly what was happening and agreeing to it?” There was more vigorous nodding from the gallery. “So that cancels out the claim that got made by mistake, right? If Dawn was made out of Buffy, even if that kinda makes Dawn Buffy’s kid, then that means that all previous claims were null and void when Dawn got made, right? The monks only made her Buffy’s sister so it wouldn’t look weird the Slayer having a kid. So, I think we’re ok, definitely not my sister, unless…”

Dawn slapped a gentle hand over his mouth. “Stop right there, Einstein. I’m running with it. You guys happy to go with that?” Giles and the others put their heads together briefly and then, looking mightily relieved, all nodded. Dawn frowned at Connor. “Sweetie, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Stop helping.” She shook her head as Connor opened his mouth to protest and repeated firmly. “Stop. Helping.”

Harry nudged Ron. “So if Buffy’s her mother then what does that make Angel again? I think I lost track somewhere.”

Ron’s brow crinkled and he surreptitiously made use of his fingers as he tried to work it out. “Her grandfather, I think.”

Hermione sighed irritably and gave Ron and his fingers a scornful look. “Her great-grandfather. It makes him her great-grandfather.”

Draco raised an elegant eyebrow. “Adds a whole new meaning to the term ‘purebloods’ doesn’t it? Talk about keeping it in the family.”

“Yuck.” Ginny curled her lip at Draco and, unintentionally, gave him a very happy moment. “That’s disgusting.”

“What?” Draco spread his hands and tried to think of something that would make her do that wonderful thing with her mouth again. “I’m just saying there’s not a lot of point in going looking elsewhere if you’ve got totty like that at home.” He sighed happily as Ginny’s mouth pursed and then grinned shamelessly at Connor as the other boy rolled his eyes knowingly.

“Remind me again why we let him tag along?” Ron eyed Draco in disgust. “What purpose does he serve exactly?”

“Order!” The courtroom focused on Fudge as he banged his little hammer hysterically. “This court will come to order!” The court did indeed come to order, although Willow did have a tough time forcing Spike not to flip a cigarette he’d broken off at the base to create a butt and then lit at the Minister. Fudge straightened his hat, which had slipped to the side slightly. “Miss Summers, are you saying that the elder Ms. Summers, your sister is in fact your mother?”

Dawn nodded. “Yep.” She waited until Fudge settled back in his chair with a wary nod and then added gleefully. “Only kinda not. My mom is my mom, Buffy’s just kinda the raw parts they used to make me.”

Fudge closed his eyes and whispered faintly. “Make you?”

Dawn winked at Connor and propped a negligent hip against the wall of the dock. “Uh-huh. We’re being specific, right?” She didn’t bother waiting for an answer and with an evil smile at Connor swept on. “I’m like thousands of years old, or four if you’re going to get human about it, and I’m really this glowing green energy ball all squashed up in this body. There was this crazed hell-god called Glory and she wanted the key and then monks, the ones that made me, stuffed all the key-y goodness into me and sent me to Buffy and mom so they would protect me.” Dawn sucked in a breath and tried to ignore the muffled snorting from Ginny and Hermione as they attempted to subdue more giggles. “So she found me and used me to open the way to her home, but Buffy killed her and then had to go jump so she could, like, save the world and stuff and then I got killed a couple of months back and it turns out that I don’t need to bleed to be the key; I just am, so that was pretty cool.” Dawn nodded to herself. “I think that’s it. Oh, I used to have blue eyes but they’re green now. It’s because I’m the Key. It’s a whole big thing.”

Harry couldn’t prevent the huge grin that stretched across his face as a muscle began to tick in Fudge’s chubby chin and he swapped smirks with Malfoy before he realised that he had done so. Recognition dawned at the same time with each boy and they hurriedly looked away from each other, scowling furiously at opposite ends of the room. Dawn nodded affably to the Minister. “If you gave us some paper we could make you a diagram to make it a bit easier.”

Malfoy sighed gloomily and settled back to close in his chair to allow his eyes to drift closed. “I can see this is going to take some time. Wake me when it gets interesting.” One eye popped open to fix scathingly on Fudge. “Or that old fool drops dead. Whatever comes first.”


	23. Chapter Twenty

The large courtroom was silent as a thin, nervous looking man read from a strip of parchment that trailed behind him for six feet on the floor and looked to have at least another foot rolled up. The atmosphere was one of tense speculation and attention and a breathless hush had fallen over the riveted wizards and witches. Well, aside from the bored ones in the dock.

“You know, before I got mixed up with you lot, this sort of thing hardly ever happened to me.” Draco looked at the panel of judges and Cornelius Fudge with a jaded eye and then at Connor. “Why do you think that is?”

Connor shrugged and continued to stroke Dawn’s long hair. “Just lucky I guess.” He blew out a long breath and nudged Kit. “How long has it been now?”

Kit looked up from where she was peeling black nail varnish from her fingertips and shrugged. “I don’t know, my watch is on the fritz, an hour maybe?”

Ginny ground her teeth irritably. “And they’re still reading the charge sheet?” She snuck a look at her mother who was looking more thunderous by the minute. “Mum’s going to explode if they don’t stop soon.”

Ron stretched his arms above his head with a yawn and waved cheerfully at Fudge as the Minister glared at him. “Well, at least she knows we’ve been keeping busy.” Even Draco couldn’t help a snort of laughter at Ron’s dry remark and the others clapped hands hastily over their mouths to muffle the giggles as the Minister and the judges glowered ominously. Dawn caught Giles’ eye as she turned her head to hide her smirk and hastily straightened her face to reflect as suitable expression of sombre concern at his fierce glare. Apparently having a good time at one’s own trial was a strict no-no in the mother country.

Harry suddenly sat bolt upright as the doors to the courtroom opened and a familiar squat figure walked hastily through them. “Oh no, not her.” Ron, Hermione and Ginny lost all urges to laugh along with Harry as Dolores Umbridge, former Hogwarts Defence of the Dark Arts professor, Headmistress and High Inquisitor scuttled towards Minister Fudge wearing her trademark pink alice band, cardigan and a hunted look. The reason for the hunted look quickly became apparent as Peeves, the Hogwarts poltergeist floated through the door after her and took aim with a handful of fresh, steaming dung.

Dawn squinted at the ugly little woman. “Who’s she?”

Ron’s face was a picture of misery. “You know we thought things couldn’t get any worse?” Dawn nodded warily. “They just did.”

Draco flashed a smug grin. “Speak for yourself, my day’s looking up!”

“PEEVES!” Professor Dumbledore’s voice thundered through the room. “That won’t be necessary, thank you.”

The little ghost hovered in mid-air and scowled with disappointment. “But Professor, I went and got it from the hippogriffs fresh this morning.” He sniffed the clump of dung in his hand appreciatively. “I thinks they ‘ad some goblins for their tea last night, it’s lovely and runny.” As if to prove his point something green and liquid dropped to the floor. Peeves leered at Umbridge. “It’ll look beautiful against that lovely wool, it will.”

“That will do, Peeves.” Dumbledore nodded at the little man with a good-humoured smile. “Float along, now. I believe Myrtle would like some extra help in her bathroom this morning.” Peeves hesitated for a moment and then with a last menacing cackle at Umbridge exited the courtroom, leaving a pungent smell of hippogriff crap in his wake.

Kit looked after the retreating ghost and then directed a dark stare at Dawn and Connor. “Y’know, when I don’t find things like that surprising anymore, I know I’ve definitely spent way too much time with you guys.”

Connor clapped an appalled hand over his sensitive nose and tried not to gag. “Tell me about it. Give me blood and guts any day.” He saw Spike and Angel both looking revolted in the gallery and exchanged disgusted looks with them. “Has anyone got any mints?”

“This session of the Wizard’s council would like to call Dolores Umbridge to the witness stand.” Fudge looked positively rapturous as he motioned with his wand and a tall, slender witness box appeared out of nowhere. “Miss Umbridge is a witness for the prosecution.”

Hermione glared fiercely as the hated woman scuttled forward and climbed onto the platform. “No, really?” She exchanged a grim look with Harry and folded her arms petulantly across her chest. “I’m shocked.” 

Ron waited until the courtroom fell silent and Umbridge had just opened her mouth to speak and then began to click his tongue loudly as he imitated the sound of a horse's clopping hooves. The effect was instantaneous and dramatic as the woman turned grey and nearly fell off her perch with the force of her flinch. Ripples of confused laughter spread around the courtroom as Umbridge’s alice band slipped over her eyes and she flailed blindly before clutching at the wooden bar before her like it was a lifeline. Harry laughed and clapped Ron approvingly on the shoulder. “Nice one, mate.”

Connor raised an eyebrow as the squat woman managed to right herself and pushed her hair band back into place. “And surprisingly effective. Is that some weird magic thing?”

Hermione resisted the urge to stick her tongue out as Umbridge glowered furiously at the dock and instead answered Connor’s question. “Unfortunately not. She came to Hogwarts a couple of years ago and made everyone’s life miserable until she got kidnapped by some centaurs.” An evil little smile crossed Hermione’s usually kind face. “Now every time she hears horses’ hooves she panics.”

Dawn’s eyebrow lifted appraisingly. “Every time?” She leaned back in her chair thoughtfully as she caught the malicious glint in the woman’s eyes as she looked at Harry. “Good to know, keep that in mind people.”

Minister Fudge darted a dark look at the casually chatting teenagers and then transferred his attention back to the woman in the witness box. “I’d like to thank you for coming here today, Miss Umbridge, and braving the site of so many unpleasant memories.” Professor Dumbledore blinked innocently as both supreme judge and the witness looked accusingly at him. “I would like you to tell me in your own words exactly what happened the last time you were at this school.”

“Hem Hem.” Harry’s teeth ground together at the familiar irritating sound of Umbridge clearing her throat and promised himself whatever happened to him, he would make sure that when she left Hogwarts this time he’d personally see to it that she did it covered in fresh centaur dung as it was squeezed out by a herd of pursuers and thrown by himself and the others. “I came to Hogwarts as a Defence against the Dark Arts professor when my predecessor had been discovered to be a spy for You-Know-Who. When I arrived at the school I found it to be run in direct contravention to the Ministry’s directives and wild rumours and scandal mongering was actively encouraged amongst the staff and students by Professor Dumbledore.”

Ron, privately impressed that he’d managed a whole thirty seconds before his temper snapped, leapt to his feet with an angry shout. “That’s because he knew the truth and the Ministry were a bunch of cowardly, spying toss-pots! You might as well have been working for bloody Voldemort for all the use you were, you old bag!” He looked down as Hermione and Harry grabbed his arms and tried to yank him down to his seat. “What? She is!”

Ginny looked at her scarlet-faced brother and nodded in agreement. “He’s got a point.”

Hermione shot Ginny an annoyed look and tugged at Ron’s arm. “This isn’t helping!” She jerked her head at Fudge and Umbridge as they exchanged gloating looks. “You’re giving them exactly what they want.”

“Hem, hem.” The eyes of the court fixed on the malevolently satisfied face of Umbridge. “This is precisely the kind of thing I was talking about. The students in this school run amok, led by Potter and his friends and wilfully encouraged by Professor Dumbledore. They have no concept of their correct place in the community and knowingly consort with the worst our society has to offer. Why, in my time here I was unfortunate enough to have to rub shoulders with giants…”

“Stop right there!” Hermione shoved Ron back onto his seat and proceeded to ignore her own advice in spectacular fashion as she pointed a shaking finger at the rotund woman. “If so much as one word passes your lips defiling Hagrid’s character or anyone connected with Professor Dumbledore in or out of this school, I will personally see that every foul, evil thing you did whilst at Hogwarts is made known to the magical community.” Hermione gestured wildly with her arm to indicate the public gallery and nearly knocked Harry’s glasses off. “There’s quite a few parents up there that will be only too interested in how their children were treated by you and what ‘discipline’ measures you thought were appropriate.” Hermione bunched her hands into fists and leaned them on the rail of the dock staring at Umbridge like they were the only two in the room. “I will bury you if you give anything but the true facts of your time with us, are we clear?”

Dawn shared an impressed look with Ginny. “Goddamn!”

Draco caught Connor’s eye and whispered in the tense silence. “Am I the only one feeling a pressing need to change my underwear?”

Connor stared open-mouthed at Hermione and shook his head. “Nope.”

“Miss Granger, are you daring to dispute Miss Umbridge’s suitability as a reliable witness?” Fudge blinked wildly at the furious figure of Hermione. “She is one of the most respected…”

Hermione’s voice cracked like a whip across the room. “I’m willing to be cross-examined under Veritaserum, is she?” The eyes of the court swung to the flushed, pink face of Dolores Umbridge as Hermione finished in cold satisfaction. “Then I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions. Sir.” Hermione sat down with a thump between the startled Ron and Harry and folded her arms as the court exploded into uproar. “Next witness, I believe.”

Ron and Harry stared at each other over her bristling head and swallowed in uneasy unison. A brief, silent battle of wills was fought until Harry reluctantly placed a hand on Hermione’s arm and then promptly flinched back when she turned narrowed eyes on him. “Alright, Hermione?”

“Fine.” Hermione bit the word out and her eyes narrowed still further. “Any reason I shouldn’t be?”

“No.” Harry swallowed again. “No reason.” He tried a nervous smile. “It’s just the last few days have been a bit tense…” His voice failed him as Hermione’s face tightened still further and he finished weakly. “No reason.”

As Dolores Umbridge began a furious exchange with Minister Fudge and the noise in the courtroom skyrocketed, Professor Dumbledore allowed himself a brief smile and cast his eyes to the dock and the teenagers there. Things were progressing very nicely indeed.

  
  


* * *

Much to Durus Cateanus’ satisfaction, Dolores Umbridge left as swiftly as she arrived after Hermione’s challenge and they settled back a trifle complacently to await the arrival of the next witness against them. Draco was idly watching the play of light on Ginny’s hair as she talked quietly with Dawn and only realised that the second of Fudge’s witnesses had entered the room when he heard Ron swear viciously behind him. He turned his head and was somehow unsurprised to see his father stride towards the witness box. Father and son’s eyes met and held for a long silent moment before Lucius stepped up and faced Mr Fudge.

Dawn frowned as she placed the ice-cold face, mentally stripping it of the lumpy boils that had been adorning it the last time they had met. “Hey, isn’t that…”

“Yeah.” Harry felt his blood begin to boil again. “Malfoy’s father.” He ground his teeth at the supercilious look Lucius directed his way. “The way this is going they’ll be calling bloody Voldemort as the next witness.”

Connor snorted and darted a worried look at Draco before muttering. “Is there anyone you guys haven’t managed to piss off over the last few years? Y’know, someone who might actually like us?”

“I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head.” Hermione answered absently and looked uncertainly between the two expressionless faces of the Malfoys. “Draco, are you alright?”

“Certainly.” Draco looked away from his father and surprised both himself and Hermione when he gave her a tight smile. “I’m perfectly fine.”

Connor’s hairs rose on the back of his neck and he felt an uneasy shiver roll down his spine, he darted a look up at his own father and saw Angel muttering to Spike as both vampires eyed the new witness. Angel’s dark eyes moved to Connor when he felt his son’s look and he raised a questioning eyebrow. Connor shook his head and mouthed. ‘Not Good. Will you back me?’

Utter surprise crossed Angel’s face at the fact that Connor felt he even needed to ask and he mouthed back ’Of course.’ Connor blinked at the ready answer and then a huge grin plastered itself over his face. Angel grinned back until Spike thwapped him round the head and rolled his eyes between the two. ‘Pillocks!’

“State your name for the record please.” Minister Fudge wasn’t looking quite so delighted to be in close proximity with Lucius Malfoy but an aura of eagerness surrounded him none the less.

“Lucius Malfoy.” Lucius swept cold eyes over the room and then stared back at the dock where his only son and heir was cosily ensconced with Harry Potter and friends. “Father of Draco Malfoy.”

Connor, still having deep feelings of misgiving, stretched an arm to tap Ron surreptitiously on the shoulder. When Ron turned his head Connor muttered. “Still trust me?”

Ron glanced at the cold face of Draco and then at Lucius. He chewed his lip for a long moment and then nodded. “Durus Cateanus, right?” He leaned around Hermione to tap Harry’s shoulder. “You in?”

Harry looked at Draco and then his eyes turned to Snape in the gallery. Green eyes held black for a long moment and Harry nodded sharply at Connor and Ron. “I’m in.”

Fudge nodded respectfully to Malfoy Senior. “If you could tell us in your own words, Mr Malfoy, why you come before this court today and why you came to Hogwarts four days ago with myself and the Aurors?”

Lucius sniffed and radiated outraged dignity as he stared around the courtroom. “It had come to my attention that my son and the…people he was consorting with were in fact working for the Dark Lord.”

The courtroom exploded again at his words. Connor swapped a surprised look with Dawn. “Whoa, never saw that one coming.”

Lucius waited until the room quietened and extended a pale hand to point at Draco. “My son bears the mark of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He is a Death Eater.”

Harry stared at Draco’s white face and then at his covered arm. He knew for a fact that none of them had mentioned Draco’s mark to either teachers or anyone else who might have an inkling of what it meant. “Oh shit!”

Connor eased away from Dawn and patted her thigh absently. “Be ready, sweetie.”

Dawn, already eyeing the walls and surrounding area for anything that could be used as a weapon if they had to fight their way out, nodded. “Always am. Hermione, Ginny, Kit, you guys are with me.”

Ron surged to his feet yet again. “So are you!” He smacked a fist off the dock and pointed an angry finger at Lucius. “You’re a sodding Death Eater too, you piece of shite! And do we look like we work for Voldemort, you bastard?”

“Ronald Weasley!” Molly glowered down at her son. “Watch your language!”

“Sorry, Mum.” Ron waved an apologetic hand in his mother’s direction and continued to glare at Lucius. “You’ve got his mark too!”

Lucius inclined his head with a sneer. “But it has been proven that I have been unfortunate enough to come under the influence of the Imperious curse twice because of the Dark Lord. I am here today to testify that my son is under no such influence and he took the dark mark of his own free will. I am willing for us both to be tested under Veritaserum to prove the truth of that accusation.”

Draco stood. “That won’t be necessary, Father.” He pulled up his sleeve and extended his arm. “I do not deny I carry the mark.”

Utter silence descended in the courtroom. Connor cast another look up towards his dad and saw both Spike and Angel leaning forward in anticipation of his word. A quick glance to either side assured him that the rest of his friends were equally prepared to follow his lead, although Ginny seemed to be occupied with staring at Draco’s rigid figure with a peculiar expression more than keeping an eye on their enemies. Fudge cleared his throat. “Very well.” He gestured to a couple of Aurors. “Remove Draco Malfoy to Azkaban immediately, there is no need to keep him here any longer.”

Harry shot to his feet. “What? You can’t do that, he has the right to a fair trial!” He moved in front of Malfoy without a second thought and glared ominously at the approaching Aurors. “You’ll have to go through us to take him out of here.”

Draco was shaken out of his stunned state at his father’s pronouncement and into sheer horror at Harry defending him. “Those stories in the Daily Prophet were true, after all. You’re completely mad!”

Ron moved shoulder-to-shoulder with Harry and smirked back at Malfoy. “Not so funny being the rescuee, is it?” He twisted his arm back awkwardly and clapped Draco’s shoulder tauntingly. “Just you sit back and let us get on with saving your arse, Malfoy. You’re in safe hands.”

Draco, struck literally speechless with dismay, goggled most unbecomingly at the backs of their heads as Dawn stood with a yawn. “Ginny, Hermione, go left, Kit, we’re going right. Connor, you guys can hold the middle-ground, right?”

“Stop that this INSTANT.” Fudge abused his poor little hammer shamefully as he bashed the arm of his chair for order. “Mr Malfoy is a self-confessed Death Eater and he will be removed from this school immediately and taken to Azkaban to begin his punishment.”

“Excuse me?” Draco raised a questioning finger and found his voice from somewhere. “Death Eater? I never said I was a Death Eater, I merely said I carried the mark.” He tapped Ron and Harry’s shoulders and motioned them aside so he could step through to the front of the dock to say firmly. “And I am willing to state under the influence of Veritaserum that I have never engaged in any Death Eater activities.” He swallowed and met his father’s eyes. “And also my reasons for taking the Dark Mark.”

Hermione stepped back from Ginny’s side and faced Fudge triumphantly. “That’s not illegal. It’s not written anywhere that you can’t carry the Dark Mark.” She glanced up at Professor Dumbledore. “Right, sir?”

Professor Dumbledore nodded his head with a smile. “That’s quite correct, Miss Granger. There is no such law that states a person may be imprisoned for merely carrying the mark.”

Dawn put one hand on her hip and the other to the tip of her nose to waggle it tauntingly at Fudge and sum the situation up neatly. “Ya-boo-sucks to you, baby!”

Kit eyed a particularly burly Auror warily and muttered under her breath. “Oh that’s mature.”

Dawn shrugged. “At least I didn’t moon him.”

Connor watched with narrow eyes as Fudge hastily conferred with the judges behind him and then turned round exultantly. “While we find that we cannot detain Mr Malfoy at Azkaban for carrying the Dark Mark, we can, and will, order that he is placed under the close supervision and guardianship of an appropriate elder and certain restrictions will be placed on his freedom. Mr Lucius Malfoy, are you prepared to keep your son at your home and under your supervision until such a time as the Ministry may decide he is to be accepted back into society?”

“No. I will not have an instrument of such evil under my roof. My family has suffered enough at the Dark Lord’s hands; I will not permit us to suffer any more.” Lucius stared at Draco as he stood in glazed shock in the dock and continued mercilessly. “I have no son. I declare myself without issue or heirs from this day forward.”

Draco’s face bleached to bone white as he stared in betrayal at his father and for the first time in his life he was glad to have Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley near him as they both placed a steadying hand out of sight at his back and stood on either side of him. Ron hissed out of the corner of his mouth. “Breathe, just breathe. We’re here.” He tightened his grip on Malfoy’s robes as he felt an unmistakable sway in the taller body. “Don’t let him see you suffer, mate.”

Draco watched disbelievingly as his father stepped down from the witness box. “Father…” Lucius ignored the broken whisper and the mutterings from the gallery, sweeping from the room without another look at his only child.

“Well…” Clearly completely flummoxed, Fudge looked around the room from inspiration as he kept his eyes averted from the shell-shocked figure in the dock. “Even though Mr Malfoy is of age, it is still this court’s findings that he cannot be allowed to remain at large without supervision. Until such person comes forward, I am reco…” Connor turned in panic to Angel and his eyes widened in unquestioning trust that his father would do something to stop Draco being taken from them.

“I claim him. Angelus, childe of Darla, childe of Heinrich Nest claims him.” Connor’s face went slack with relief as the familiar deep voice rang from the back of the courtroom and he watched his father stand to stare down at the Minister. “I claim him as my childe and my line. From this day forth he belongs to the line of Aurelius and will claim protection from Angelus, as sire and father. As head of my line I have spoken and it is so.”

Dawn, keeping a suitably serious expression on her face for the benefit of the audience, leaned towards Connor to whisper. “He is SO making that up as he goes along, right?”

Connor nodded. “Oh yeah. Still…” He winked and then drew himself up to proclaim formally. “I, Connor Angel, childe of Angelus, childe of Darla, childe of Cordelia, claim Draco Malfoy as my brother from this day forward. The head of my line has spoken and it is so.”

“This cannot be authorized.” Fudge smashed his hammer on the arm of his chair. “You are muggles and therefore cannot be permitted to…”

“I am allowing my son to be tried in your court and by your laws.” Angel folded his arms across his chest and gave his best glower. “If we fall under your jurisdiction for that, then it’s right that we are covered by all your laws. The claim stands.” He raised a calm eyebrow. “Unless you want to challenge me yourself?” A faint panicked gobbling from Fudge was his only answer and Angel gave a satisfied nod. “Thought not.”

A rattle of chains had everyone focusing on Drusilla as she stood in her cage and gave a less than formal giggle. “I, Drusilla, childe of Angelus, childe of Darla, claim this boy as my brother. Daddy has spoken and it will be so.” Her dancing eyes landed on Spike. “William?”

Spike rolled his eyes and obligingly climbed to his feet. “Yeah, what they said. All claimed, right and tight.” He rolled his eyes again as Angel elbowed him in annoyance and finished grouchily. “And I’ll rip the throats out of anyone who touches him, alright?”

“Ew!” Cordelia stood and flicked her glossy hair back as she screwed up her nose. “Gross.” Her chocolate eyes swept over the court. “I’m Cordelia Chase, Higher Being, and I’m no one’s childe. I’m mate to Angelus and mother to Connor, and I say the boy is mine. Anyone got a problem with that? No? Good.” She sat herself back down with another dark look at Spike and a warm smile at Connor.

Dawn giggled and winked at Buffy as she stepped forward to take her turn. “I’m Dawn Summers, mate to Connor Angel, childe of William the Bloody and the rest of the former bloodsucking fiends and I claim Draco Malfoy as my line. Angelus has spoken and it is so.”

Buffy stood up. “I am Buffy, the Slayer and mate to William the Bloody, I claim him as mine.” She looked around with a raised eyebrow. “Did we miss anyone?”

Dawn’s face was a study in surprise as Kit stood up and cleared her throat shyly.

“I’m Kit, childe of William the Bloody, I claim Draco Malfoy as my line. The head of my line has spoken and it is so.”

Dawn stared wildly between Spike and Kit. “He claimed you? When did that happen? How come no one told me?”

Buffy nodded to herself. “I knew we missed one. Sorry, Kit.”

Kit smiled up at the Slayer and then yelped as Dawn grabbed her arm. “Watch the nails!”

Dawn ignored the pained expression on her friend’s face and gripped harder. “Spike claimed you?”

“Yep.” Kit darted a smile towards Spike and received a fond one in return. “Right after you left. Carlos too.” She swallowed tears as she thought of her friend and continued gamely. “He thought it would be safer for us.”

Dawn blinked back her own tears and threw her arms around Kit’s neck. “That’s so cool, I’m so glad!”

Kit hugged Dawn tightly. “Really? You’re not annoyed you’re not the only one anymore?”

Dawn spluttered laughter through her tears. “What are you nuts? This is the best thing ever. Now he can spend all his time obsessing about you and get off my back. This is great!”

Spike looked outraged and yelled. “I can hear you, y’know!”

Dawn and Kit laughed and chorused. “We know!”

Connor kissed Kit on the cheek and wrapped both arms around the two girls. “Welcome to the family.” He rubbed his face over Kit’s shining black hair and grinned. “I’m definitely thinking of you as a sister.”

Kit kissed Connor’s cheek happily. “I can live with that.” Connor stepped back and smiled at the girls one more time before turning to Draco, still standing silently between Ron and Harry.

“Draco? Pal?” Draco blinked and stared blankly down at Connor’s worried face. “You, ok?”

“Of course.” Draco tried for his habitual sneer and was alarmed to discover his face muscles wouldn’t respond. “I’m perfectly fine.”

Connor nudged Harry aside and took Draco’s arm to say quietly. “I know this is tough, but hang in there, ok? We’re here for you.” He darted a quick look up at Angel and whispered urgently. “You need to accept the claim for it to be binding, do you understand? You need to say you accept.”

Draco shook his head. “I can’t. I…I don’t have any money. I don’t have anything left.” He patted Connor’s shoulder vaguely. “It’s terribly decent of you but I have nothing to give you.”

Connor looked surprised. “You got you, don’t you? We don’t want money, we’re family.” He shook Draco’s arm. “Say the damn words.”

“This offer doesn’t come with strings attached.” The entire dock yelped in shock as Angel suddenly appeared out of nowhere in that annoying way he had. Angel smiled apologetically at them and held out a hand that had a small gash on the palm, running freely with blood. “I take you as my son. Unconditionally.”

Draco blinked again. “Unconditionally? I don’t understand.” He looked around himself uncomprehendingly. “I carry the Dark Mark. You heard my fa…Lucius. No one will want me as theirs now.”

“We do.” Angel smiled warmly. “I always wanted a big family, and technically we’re mostly demons anyway. You’ll fit right in.” His brown eyes softened at the lost look on Draco’s face. “Give me your hand. Son.” He kept smiling reassuringly as Draco looked blankly at his hand and extended it with uncharacteristic trust towards Angel. Connor moved his grip to Draco’s elbow and tightened his fingers to keep his friend from flinching as Angel dug his nail into Draco’s flesh and freed a well of blood. Angel placed his palm over Draco’s and folded his fingers around the soft flesh. “Blood of my blood, childe of my heart’s choice. Mine.” Everyone yelped again as a flash of blue light enveloped both hands. Angel stared wide-eyed at his hand wrapped around Draco’s. “That’s never happened before.”

Up in the gallery Buffy and Cordelia turned as one to look accusingly at Willow. The witch raised her cocked finger to her mouth to blow on it and tipped them a sly wink. “A little theatre never hurt anyone.”

  
  


* * *

After a short break to allow Fudge to try and find a way to weasel out of the claim and discover to his apoplectic fury that he didn’t have a leg to stand on, the court reconvened. Harry was pleased to note that the feeling of the room seemed to be turning slowly, but inexorably, in their favour. People in the gallery were catching his eye and nodding encouragingly or shooting warm smiles at the gaggle of teenagers in the dock. He looked back at Fudge as the Minister cleared his throat. “We call the third and final witness for the prosecution. Mrs Petunia Dursley.”

“Bloody fucking hell!” Ron’s stunned exclamation bounced off the walls of the room as the doors to the court opened and the thin, pinched figure of Harry’s aunt scurried through. Even Molly Weasley was too gob smacked to do anything but squint threateningly at her son as Aunt Petunia made her way to the witness box, shooting thin-lipped looks at the wizards and witches all around her. “Bloody fucking hell!” Ron pointed at Mrs Dursley and then at Harry. “That’s your aunt! That’s your bloody aunt, Harry!”

Harry’s jaw bounced up and down in shock as the very last person he ever expected to see at Hogwarts took the stand opposite him. Cold sweat broke out all over his body and before he could stop himself his shoulders hunched in automatic defence at the icy look his aunt threw at him. “Oh God, this is bad.”

Ginny and Hermione were the first to recover and both girls folded their arms belligerently as they scowled across the room. Dawn was confused for a couple of seconds but then the little snatches of information that Harry had let slip about his childhood came back and she curled her lip in disdain. “That’s the cupboard lady?” Hermione nodded grimly and Dawn patted Connor’s leg. “This one’s for the girls, sweetie. Let us handle it.”

“Gladly.” Connor raised an eyebrow and looked Mrs Dursley up and down. “Has she been pickled in something?”

Harry looked round at his friend’s casual insult and felt the shock of his aunt’s arrival ease just a little. “No, she always looks like that.” His shoulders straightened as he remembered that Aunt Petunia was on his ground now and that his friends were with him all the way. “In fact this is a good day.”

Connor snorted. “Sucks to be her then.”

Kit nudged Dawn. “Why are we not liking this one?”

Dawn gave Mrs Dursley her filthiest look, normally reserved for Spike when he was being particularly ‘daddish’, and hissed out of the corner of her mouth. “Harry’s evil relative. Made him live in a cupboard for years and let her son beat the hell out of him when they were growing up.”

Kit nodded. “Oh.” She eyed the pinched face and then looked round at Drusilla singing a rather disturbing nursery rhyme to herself as she played cat’s cradle with her thin, magical chains and said hopefully. “Can we feed her to Dru? That’s allowed, right?”

Dawn bit her lip thoughtfully. “Hmm, now that’s a thought.” She darted a look between the muggle woman and the vampire and concluded regretfully. “We can’t, we’d never get away with it.” Her face brightened up. “But Clem’s got a cousin who lives in London. Maybe we could give him her address and he could take a few of his buddies over to see her.”

Kit grinned in approval. “Good plan.”

“Have you quite finished?” The querulous voice of Fudge broke into the two girls’ discussion and they looked up to find the entire court watching them.

Dawn waved a hand. “Oh sure, go on.” She raised her eyebrows. “Don’t let us keep you.”

Fudge scowled in what he obviously thought was an intimidating way and earned himself an unimpressed eye roll from Dawn before she turned her back on him and struck up another low-voiced conversation with Kit. When another session of protracted glaring failed to get him even minimal attention from the two Americans, he turned with an angry sniff to Mrs Dursley. “Please state your name and relationship to the accused.”

“Petunia Dursley.” Obviously loathe to admit knowing Harry, much less being legitimately related to him, Mrs Dursley swallowed several times before finally muttering through gritted teeth. “I am Harry Potter’s aunt and guardian.”

“I see.” Fudge leaned forward slightly. “Would you please tell the court why you are here today Mrs Dursley?”

The woman on the witness stand shot Harry a poisonous look and clenched and unclenched her fingers on her handbag for several moments before hissing angrily. “Because my home was attacked two nights ago and myself and my husband barely escaped with our lives.” One bony finger jabbed at Harry. “And it’s all that boy’s fault! We took him in when his parents were killed and cared for him to the best of our ability, we fed him, dressed him, protected him and he’s given us nothing but trouble ever since. My son lives in fear of his rages and evil, devious little plots. His friends threaten us, he attacks members of our family with his…his…powers and we live in fear of him coming to our home every summer.” The very picture of helpless betrayal, Aunt Petunia was literally shaking with emotion as she denounced her only sister’s son. “He’s dangerous and uncontrollable and something has to be done about him. He even threatened us with his godfather, a known killer, if we didn’t let him do as he pleased!” She finished her sentence on a wail of grief and fished ostentatiously in her bag for a spotless white handkerchief to dab at her streaming eyes. The dock was suddenly the focus of a lot of disapproving looks as the thin woman dissolved into tears.

Kit, who had stopped her idle conversation with Dawn the moment Mrs Dursley began to speak, leaned forward and eyed the bespectacled Harry curiously. “He did all that?” She looked him up and down pointedly and raised her voice to carry to the spectators as she sat back with a shrug. “Doesn’t exactly look mad, bad and dangerous to know to me.” Faint titters were heard all over court at her unimpressed reaction to Aunt Petunia’s dramatic statement, but still the majority of people were shaking their heads and sniffing in condemnation at Harry.

Connor grinned at Harry as he flushed a deep red. “Way to hide your evil light under a bushel, buddy. Didn’t know you had it in you.”

Dawn watched with interest as Mrs Dursley went a dangerous shade of red with the force of her sobs and winked at Hermione. “Time to get pro-active.” She stood and stuck her arm in the air much like she was in class. “Er…excuse me? I have a question.”

Fudge, deeply wary of letting any of the accused saying anything else before he lost any chance he had left to consign them to the deepest, darkest dungeon he could find, shook his head at her. “You will be silent until told you can speak, Miss Summers.”

Dawn’s eyes widened innocently and she turned a shocked face to the gallery. “Are you refusing to let us defend ourselves, Mr Fudge?” Drawing on years of winding Spike round her little finger, Dawn blinked furiously as her eyes filled with shimmering tears and added a tremble of her lower lip for good measure. “I only wanted to ask a question.”

Ron smothered an admiring smile as the faces in the gallery looked darkly at the Minister and judges behind him, clearly moved by the innocent distress leaking from Dawn’s every pore, and whispered. “Merlin, she’s good.”

Connor, fighting to keep his own face straight, nodded proudly and hissed back. “No body does it better.”

Hermione and Ginny exchanged resigned looks with Kit and, as though the three girls had been working seamlessly together for years, suddenly the dock was awash in female tears. Dawn covered her face with her hands and put a bit of extra tremble in her shoulders as she sobbed fearfully before the court. The sight of the four young girls weeping before them had the tide of sympathy from the audience changing direction in an instant and Fudge was alarmed to find himself the target of outraged looks and whispers. He waved a hasty hand through the air. “I did not say you were not permitted to defend yourselves, Miss Summers, I merely meant that it would be preferable to wait until Mrs Dursley had finished.”

Connor stood to pull Dawn against his manly chest and made a great show of wrapping his strong arms around her frail figure as he nodded at Mrs Dursley, now glaring furiously over her handkerchief at being upstaged so comprehensively. “She looks finished to me. Dawn only wanted to ask a question, there was no need to be like that with her.” He patted her head with slightly more force than necessary when he felt her wipe her nose on his robes and finished reproachfully. “She is just a kid.” It was to Connor’s credit that he didn’t even flinch when he felt Dawn’s teeth nip hard at his nipple in retaliation for his last remark.

“For shame!” Molly Weasley stood in a flurry of robes and knitting needles. “Cornelius Fudge, I’m ashamed of you. Upsetting a little girl like this!” She braced her hands on her ample hips and gave him her best glare, normally reserved for Fred and George. “I would never have believed the Ministry would sink to persecuting children in such a manner.”

Aware that his witch-hunt was galloping wildly out of control, yet again, Fudge flinched back from Molly’s righteous wrath as murmurs of agreement came from all over the courtroom. The murmurs grew to mutterings and then to shouts of outright disapproval as Ron, Harry and Draco responded to a jerk of the head from Connor and rose to each gather a sobbing girl into their arms. Draco, still in deep shock from his sudden change in status and fortunes, nonetheless retained enough of his innate Malfoyishness to take the opportunity to gather Ginny to him before Harry could get to her. Ginny tensed as Draco’s arms went around her and tried to pull back, only to yip with anger as he bent his head to her ear and whispered. “This is for Perfect Potter, remember. We don’t want to ruin the show now, do we?” He held his breath as she still strained away and then reluctantly allowed him to pull her tightly against him. Draco folded his arms securely around Ginny’s rigid body and then felt his heart beat faster as Ginny raised her arms and slipped them grudgingly around his waist.

Harry blinked uncertainly at Draco and Ginny for a moment before turning to Hermione, only to find she was already clinging to Ron and presenting a suitably tragic figure to their audience. He blushed as he realised that only left Kit and made his way awkwardly to the black-haired girl and patting her uncomfortably on her shoulder. Kit, who hadn’t spent the last few years around Dawn without picking up a trick or two, heaved with silent sobs for a few seconds before flinging her arms around Harry’s waist and burying her face with a pathetic wail in his robes. Harry flinched back instinctively before remembering that he was in fact meant to be comforting the distraught girl and uneasily put his arms around her shaking shoulders.

Up in the gallery Buffy nodded to herself and muttered under her breath. “Don’t over-play it, now’s the time to pull yourself heroically together…3,2,1…” Below them Dawn pushed out of Connor’s arms and stood with one trembling hand covering her eyes while she clutched at his forearm for support and her chest heaved as she apparently fought for control. Buffy beamed proudly at Willow. “Taught her everything she knows.”

“It shows.” Willow raised an impressed eyebrow as Dawn raised her tear-streaked face and blood began to flow from a re-opened wound on her lip. “She did that, right?”

Buffy nodded again and on the outside looked desperately concerned about Dawn for the benefit of the spectators, whilst inside giving her sister a standing ovation. “Nothin’ like a little blood and tears to get people on your side.”

Connor bent close to Dawn as he dabbed gently at her lip with the edge of his robe and whispered. “You are a goddess. I’m in awe.”

“You damn well should be.” Dawn gave another fierce tremble and then swayed weakly as she muttered. “We got the sympathy vote yet?”

Connor looked up through his lashes at the gallery as he slipped a bracing arm around Dawn’s waist, biting his lip in an Oscar winning performance of a concerned boyfriend. “They’re practically on their knees.”

Dawn hid her smug grin in his shoulder and then straightened, the epitome of a brave little soldier. “Then sit back and watch a master work.” She pushed her hair back from her pale, damp face and whispered gleefully as she turned her back on the spectators in a stunning display of little-girl-lost to dry her face and adjust her robes. “Let’s take it home, ladies.”

Kit smirked against Harry’s waist as she caught the low-voiced command and pulled her face back to look fearfully around her. She caught hold of his hand and tugged him down to her side and then cuddled into his chest, still battling back tears. Harry stiffened in surprise and then relaxed as Kit pressed her woeful face against his shoulder and whispered. “Sorry about this, but it’ll be hard for people to see you as some kind of insane monster if you’re pulling the gallant knight routine and comforting a damsel in distress. Look sympathetic and concerned.”

Harry, beginning to feel that the world had officially gone mad, shifted uncomfortably and tried to ignore the very pleasant tickle of Kit’s breath against his flesh and softness of her body as she cuddled into his side. “Are all the girls from Sunnydale like you and Dawn?” He sucked in his breath as Kit pressed her face against his neck as an Auror looked suspiciously at them and her lips accidentally skimmed the base of his throat. “Er…are you sure this is necessary?”

“Yep. Big, brave Harry, comforting poor, little weak me. We’re going straight for their throats.” Kit shuddered in distress against Harry and muttered. “Will you put your goddamn arms around me, please? I’m not a leper!”

Harry flinched at her annoyed tone and his arms clamped around Kit in jumpy obedience. Kit wheezed as the breath was forced out of her lungs and batted urgently at his shoulder. “Not so tight!” She sighed with relief as his arms slackened and grabbed them before Harry let them fall. One arm she left draped around her waist and then tilted her head back to look at his embarrassed face and hissed. “Use the other one to support my head.”

Harry blushed nearly purple as he cupped Kit’s head and his body turned intimately into hers, giving the appearance he was using his body to shelter her from the stares and whispers all around them. “I’m sorry, I don’t really know what to do.”

Kit, her face effectively hidden from prying eyes, grinned cheerfully up at him. “Me neither. I won’t tell if you don’t.” She wrapped her own arms around Harry’s torso and stared soulfully up into his eyes. “So, we haven’t really had a chance to get to know each other with everything that’s been happening the past few days…been a wizard long?”

Harry blinked at her heart-shaped face and the mischievous smile showing white teeth and then stared wordlessly into her deep, brown eyes. His heart beat once, twice, and Harry Potter, sometime saviour of the world, fell deeply, crazily, stupidly, head-over-heels in love with the complete stranger in his arms. Kit frowned as Harry’s glasses fogged up and his stunned green eyes disappeared from view. “Harry, you ok? Harry?”

Connor’s head snapped around as over the thick musk of Draco and Ron’s attraction to their chosen girls he caught the sharp smell of a new, and infinitely more worrying, male scent. He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at Harry as he peered through the mist on his lenses into Kit’s eyes. Connor wasn’t entirely sure how he was meant to behave as a newly acknowledged brother to a teenaged girl, but he was fairly sure it wasn’t with a parade and bunting when a guy obviously wanted to get groiny with her. He glanced at Ron, taking full advantage of the moment to sit with Hermione huddled in his lap and pressed close to his heart, and made a mental note to ask the red-haired boy what the correct course of action was in these circumstances. Then he noticed Draco wrapped around Ginny at the far end of the dock and realised it could be worse. Given a choice on a guy who would pursue his ‘sister,’ Connor decided he’d happily take sensitive, slightly nervous Harry over the pulsating mass of hormones that seemed to make up Draco Malfoy most of the time.

“Ok.” Dawn turned back to face the main courtroom and did a quick check to make sure her accomplices were all looking suitably girly or macho depending on their sex and mustered a brave smile. “I…I’m sorry. The last few days have been so sc…scary.” Fred squeezed Gunn’s hand and thought the touching tremble in Dawn’s voice made a nice touch, and made a mental note to try it on Gunn the next time he tried to tell her five tacos in a row was more than enough for any being, never mind a hundred and twenty pound physicist. “I…I’m sorry.”

Fudge shifted uncomfortably as a single tear dripped artfully down Dawn’s cheek and hundreds of eyes focused unpleasantly on him. “Ahem. Well, I think under the circumstances we might allow you your question.” Looking as though he’d rather ram broken wand pieces under his fingernails Fudge gestured to Dawn to continue.

Dawn sniffed and dragged the robe of her arm across her eyes, all the better to wink at Connor with, and faced Mrs Dursley. “I was just wondering, do you have any magical abilities?” Triumph exploded in the pit of her stomach as a look of sheer revulsion twisted Mrs Dursley’s face at the idea she might be anything but ‘normal’.

“Certainly not!” Aunt Petunia twisted her handbag handle so fiercely in her hands that the sound of cotton was giving way was audible even at the back of the courtroom. “My family has always been above reproach!”

Hermione’s head came up from Ron’s shoulder quicker than a striking snake. “Reproach? There’s something to be ashamed of being like Harry?”

Mrs Dursley’s eyes darted to the angrily muttering crowd. “No, of course not.” Looking as though forcing the words out was actually causing her pain, she continued. “I merely meant…”

Dawn looked sympathetic and interrupted. “He’s a freak?”

“Yes!” Mrs Dursley’s mouth snapped shut as she realised what she had said and there was a room full of ‘freaks’ around her to witness it. “No! You’re putting words in my mouth.”

“Oh no.” Dawn shook her head and her green eyes flashed angrily. “I’m just helping them get out. Y’see, although a lot of dangerous things happen around Harry he’s not really the cause of them. I’d be willing to bet that whatever stuff did happen in your home was when he was under stress or afraid.”

Kit sensed the eyes of the court turn on her and Harry. “Quick, stroke my hair! Look gentle!”

Ginny turned in Draco’s arms and nodded. “Everyone knows that underage wizards and witches can’t always control their magic when their emotions are fluctuating. He can’t be blamed for that.” She scowled as Draco tightened his arms around her as he thought she was pulling completely away from him and hissed. “Could you please loosen your greasy paws on me?”

Draco, finding it very comforting just holding another warm body, ignored Ginny’s angry comment and tucked her against his chest again, well aware that the minute they saw off Harry’s aunt the only opportunity he would have to touch Ginny again was if she was unconscious, probably dead. Ginny squeaked in protest as Draco’s arms tightened unbearably around her and he clutched her to him in reflex panic at the thought of one day having to see her dead body lying at his feet.

Dawn, forgetting she was meant to be impersonating someone with no backbone, smiled grimly at Mrs Dursley and then looked directly at Minister Fudge, although her words were for directed at the muggle woman for form’s sake. “I think the main reason you’re here is to take a last shot at punishing Harry for being something you could never be.” She pointed at Harry, desperately trying to look as gentle and unthreatening as he could whilst still reeling from the surge of unexpected emotion he had felt staring into Kit’s eyes, and Dawn radiated righteous fury as she finished. “He’s extraordinary. You have no concept of what he is, because in your narrow, jealous, bigoted little mind he’s something to be feared and you want to destroy the thing that your petty little insecurities won’t let you respect like he deserves.”

“He should never have survived!” The enraged shriek from Aunt Petunia had Connor, Spike, Angel and Drusilla wincing at pitch. “He’s an abomination. My sister died and I thought that was the last I would ever have to hear of her disgusting, miserable existence and then he came.” Spittle flew from the woman’s lips as a lifetime’s resentment burst its dam. “I’ve had to hoard that… that creature in my home all his life and now because of him and his damnable life we’ve lost everything. My home was destroyed when people came looking for things to use against him, we missed them by minutes. Our neighbours were brutalised and their own homes wrecked when they tried to stop it.” Petunia looked into her nephew’s eyes for the very last time as she asked viciously. “What am I meant to tell them? The little fiend that we fed and watered all these years is a freak instead of a criminal?”

Kit, horrified as the spiteful tirade spewed out, wrapped her arms around Harry’s body tightly; her only thought to bring him comfort and protect him from the woman’s wounding words. “Don’t listen to her, don’t listen to her…” She hugged him tighter as his body began to tremble. “Don’t listen to her, Harry, it’s not your fault.”

The stunned silence in the court was broken by a muffled thump as Molly Weasley’s knitting bag soared through the air and smacked Petunia Dursley squarely in the face. “You evil, malicious, twisted, spiteful, bi…” Severus Snape, moving faster than he had ever believed possible, jumped out of his seat and pushed his way through the people between himself and Ron’s mother to clap a hand firmly over her mouth and restrain her with the other arm as she fought to get to Mrs Dursley. Panting slightly as he fought to hold on to the livid woman, Snape nodded at Fudge as Harry’s friends gathered around him in support. “I believe this might be a good time to break for lunch?”


	24. Chapter Twenty-One

After the court had taken a short break, and Mrs Weasley had practically been sat on to stop her assaulting Mrs Dursley as she was escorted from Hogwarts to a safe house provided by the Ministry, all interested parties had gathered in the Room of Requirement for round two of the trial. Over a decidedly sub-standard lunch of bread and cheese, the eight accused had sat silently, morosely discussing the morning’s developments and trying clumsily to cheer up Draco and Harry who were, understandably, less than pleased with some of the events.

Connor, although deeply upset on Draco’s behalf, couldn’t stop himself feeling just a niggle of happiness at the thought he now had a brother. And one that had almost as dubious a past as himself at that. “You ok?” Connor broke off another hunk of bread and waved it enticingly under Draco’s nose as they ate their depressing lunch in the dock.

Draco blinked at the bread and took it without thinking, then sat and stared at it with no idea what to do with it. He blinked again as he realised that Connor had repeated his question and mustered a faint smile. “Of course.” His eyes returned to the bread in his hand and a faint puzzled frown creased his brow as he evidently wondered how it got there.

Connor darted a helpless look at Dawn, who shrugged back equally helplessly, and then cleared his throat uneasily. “I’m sorry that happened.”

Draco’s skin flushed a light pink, the only outward display of emotion, and he kept his eyes averted from Connor. “It had to sooner or later.” He swallowed as his throat suddenly burned with shameful emotion and managed to say reasonably steadily. “I just always imagined it would be on my terms.”

Connor pretended not to notice the sudden huskiness of Draco’s voice and shrugged. “Things never seem to work out the way you expect.” He glanced at the other occupants of the dock to make sure they were still gathered around Harry and smiled briefly at Dawn as she pretended a sudden interest in the grain of the wooden chair she was seated on. Connor leaned forward and whispered. “By rights, I should either be about three years old or living with an old Englishman in a hell dimension, but look at me now, living in a school for wizards and on trial for just about everything.” He grinned at the confused flicker on Draco’s face and explained. “My other father had himself killed so I would kill Angel.”

“I beg your pardon?” Draco was startled out of his brooding examination of his bread by the low admission. “Your other father?”

Connor nodded. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me. I got snatched when I was a baby from Angel by a man called Daniel Holtz who wanted revenge for the murder of his family a couple of hundred years ago.” Connor waved a dismissive hand, as Draco looked decidedly puzzled. “Time’s kinda a relative concept among the people I know. Anyway, Holtz took me but we ended up trapped in a hell dimension, which is where I grew up, and he raised me to believe that Angel was evil and that he had to die. I devoted my life to finding a way out of Quor’toth so I could take revenge for my father.” Connor’s eyes unfocused as he stared at the floor of the dock and remembered the hate and rage that had been so much a part of him when he had first gotten out of Quor’toth. “The first time I met Angel I tried to kill him and things kind of went downhill from there.”

Draco looked up at the gallery where his new family were holding a whispered argument that seemed to involve the blond vampire, Spike, jabbing a sharp finger into Angel’s chest repeatedly and Angel scowling and trying to snap the digit. “He must have hated you.”

Connor followed his gaze and watched Angel’s temper snap and his game-face flicker for a moment before Cordelia slapped his arm and muttered something that had both vampires’ squirming in their seats like children. “You’d think so wouldn’t you?” He grinned as Willow looked up from talking quietly with Giles and Wesley and added a comment that had Angel’s mouth dropping open with shock and Spike clutching worriedly at his hair. “It wasn’t easy, and it took some time, but we worked through it. When my father, Holtz, died, I was told that Angel killed him. First thing I did was go out and find a big box and boat and drop his ass in the ocean.” He shuddered as he remembered just how close he had come to losing his dad forever. “By the time things came to light, he’d been down there three months and I was running on nothing but hate. But when we got him back the first thing he said to me was that he loved me.”

“He forgave you just like that?” Draco raised an incredulous eyebrow and forgot his own troubles in his interest. “Just told you he loved you and picked up where you left off?”

Connor snorted. “Hell, no. He kicked my butt out and left me on the streets for a few months to work through things. And we left off with me trying to kill him, not a lot there to build from.” He grabbed a goblet of water from the floor and gulped at the cool liquid inside before continuing in an embarrassed rush. “I got dragged back into the fold when some big demon thingy rose and blocked out the sun in LA for a few weeks. Cordelia got possessed and was trying to mate with anything with a supernatural pulse before she worked her way around to me. I saw Angel again when I walked back into his home with the woman he loved unconscious over my shoulder and dripping blood where I’d had to knock her out to stop her trying to bed me.”

Draco’s mouth fell open. “Your mother tried to sleep with you?” Obviously wondering exactly what kind of ‘family’ he’d been dragged into his face screwed up in disgust. “That’s sick!”

Connor nodded and hastened to explain. “Uh-huh. But she wasn’t my mother then, she was just the woman I thought was bedding my evil fiend of a father. All the claiming stuff happened later.” He shuddered as he remembered Cordelia in his little attic hideaway peeling off her clothes. “But, still, ewww! Anyway, once I’d got his hands off my throat and stopped him trying to strangle me, I told him what happened, he did some kind of a spell to find out what was wrong with her and we called Willow to come and help us unpossess her. It worked but there was another problem. When the thing came out of Cordelia it went into a woman called Lilah who was hiding out at Dad’s place after the big demon slaughtered her whole company.” Connor took another swig of water to ease his dry throat. “She’d sold her soul a few years back and there was a nice empty spot inside her just begging to be filled, plus, big check in the familiarity with dark, demonic powers column. She was Wesley’s lover at the time, and he’s no slouch in at magic department himself, so she slept with him and got herself pregnant and ended up giving birth to this insane god thing called Jasmine that enslaved LA and turned everyone into vegetables.” Draco’s eyebrows nearly hit his hairline at that piece of information and Connor waved his hand as he explained hurriedly. “Not like potato vegetables or anything, just complete idiots who couldn’t think for themselves.” He hesitated. “Well, she did eat them, so kind of vegetables, but definitely not the grow in the ground type.”

Draco, reeling with each piece of information that only seemed to get more disturbing as Connor went continued, repeated faintly. “Ate them? Ate people?”

Connor, aware he might be losing his audience, nodded and rushed on. “Yep. Anyway, long story short, Fred managed to figure out what was going on; we chased her around trying to kill her for a couple of days before she managed to cure Angel and then they got to the rest of us. Angel went off to some giant-bug dimension to get what we needed to kill Jasmine, came back; we outted her on live TV and I punched a hole in her head the size of Hogwarts while she was busy trying to kill Angel.”

Draco gaped at his friend. “You really weren’t joking when you said things went downhill were you?”

Connor grinned and thought of all the little details he’d left out. “Nope.” He darted a look up at Angel and was unsurprised to see that he was watching the two boys and shamelessly listening to every word of their quiet conversation. “So we killed the Jasmine thing and Angel persuaded me to go back home with him for a few nights to help out with getting the city quietened down after all the upheaval. We were kept pretty busy for a few days and then we got a visit from the Powers That Be…” Connor rolled dismissive eyes at Draco’s questioning look. “They are so a story for another time. Anyway, they came, they generally annoyed everyone, Cordelia smacked one in the eye and then they rewarded us all by anchoring my dad’s soul permanently to him before they blew out of town again.”

Draco, by now absolutely riveted and hanging on Connor’s every word, raised an eyebrow. “Anchored his soul?”

Connor blinked for a moment and then nodded in understanding. “Oh, that’s right, you haven’t been around for Vampire 101. Vampires don’t generally have souls. Angel got his through a curse; we always had a risk of him losing it and going evil again. With the soul anchored that meant he and Cordelia could be together and then he asked me to stay with him and give things another go.” Connor flashed a lightening grin up at Angel. “I figured staying in a nice, comfy hotel was better than a filthy loft and took a room.” He looked back at Draco. “Things weren’t easy but Angel kept trying and then over time I started to think of it as home. Cordelia steamrollered over me, making me fit for human society, Gunn and Fred took me out places with them, Wesley taught me and got me ready for school and Angel just…” Connor’s face flushed and he gave an embarrassed shrug. “Angel just loved me, I guess.”

Draco looked down at his hand, where Angel’s claim was still sticky with dried blood on his palm. “That’s a charming story, Connor, but I fail to see what it has to do with me.”

Connor racked his brains for the right words. “I guess I’m trying to say that all that’s yours now.” He tapped Draco’s hand. “You can’t think of that mark in human terms; you need to think like a vampire. That makes you as much a part of Angel as I am; he’d die for you now.”

Draco’s eyes remained fixed on his hand. “I always thought, despite everything, that my father would do that.” He gave a dismissive shrug and whispered bitterly. “Look how that turned out.”

Connor placed his hand on Draco’s arm and gave it a manly squeeze. “See, I’ve had a ‘father’ and I’ve had a ‘dad.’” He waited until Draco looked up at him. “I prefer having a dad.” Connor glanced up at Angel once more and their eyes held as Connor felt the last hold Holtz had on him slip away and smiled. “Angel won’t ever let us down and he’ll always come through for us.”

Draco looked from Connor to Angel and watched as the vampire’s face worked with emotion for a moment before he gave both boys a beaming smile. Angel’s eyes shone with feeling as he looked down at Draco and he held up his own bloodied hand as he mouthed. “Mine. Ok?”

Draco swallowed a sudden lump in his throat and nodded. “Ok.”

Connor patted Draco’s arm and stole the last lump of cheese out from under Dawn’s hand and ducked her annoyed slap with a grin. “It won’t be easy, but we’ll make it.” He chewed thoughtfully on his cheese and added. “And we really need to have a talk about Mom sometime. There’s definitely a few things you need to know there if you don’t want a permanent ringing in your ears and her foot up your butt.” He choked on his cheese at Draco’s alarmed expression. “Figuratively speaking.”

  
  
  


* * *

“It is now time for the accused to offer what defence they have for their crimes.” Fudge re-opened the trial with yet more enthusiastic banging of his hammer and a really annoyed glare, adding petulantly. “If, indeed, they have any defence at all.”

  
  
  


“Objection!” Dawn shot to her feet. “That’s like totally leading the jury or whatever.” She looked around. “If you had a jury. Which you don’t.” She pouted. “Hey, how come you don’t have a jury?”

Connor grinned. “Go, Perry Mason.” He raised an eyebrow as Dawn eyed him quizzically. “What? Blame Cordy, she made me watch it.”

Hermione sighed and got to her feet to stand beside Dawn. “Why don’t I handle this bit?” She motioned for Dawn to sit down and glanced at Professor Dumbledore before facing Fudge. “Do you have somewhere specific in mind where you’d like me to start?”

Fudge’s eyes glittered with dislike as he looked back at the composed face. “Perhaps you’d like to offer an explanation of why you decided to use illegal magics in school to leave your quarters when the rest of the school was confined to theirs?”

Hermione looked at Professor Dumbledore and waited for his consenting smile before nodding in agreement. “Certainly. We didn’t use any illegal magics. Dawn opened up a portal and we left via that route.”

“You are admitting that you apparated out of your house?” Fudge smiled smugly. “The truth at last.”

Hermione eyed the little man condescendingly. “No, if you bothered to listen properly, you’d realise I’m not admitting anything of the kind. Part of Dawn’s powers includes the ability to open portals between dimensions or between geographical points in this one. As far as I’m aware no law exists to prohibit the use of such magics within Hogwarts or anywhere in the magical community, therefore we did nothing wrong.”

“You defied a direct order from the Ministry of Magic and…” Fudge spluttered into silence as Hermione indignantly interrupted him.

“We most certainly did not!” Hermione pushed her thick hair back from her face and placed her hands on her hips challengingly. “We received no such orders from the Ministry and were offered no explanation for our confinement. After taking into consideration the events of the previous evening, we felt that the judgement and consent of the Head Boy and two senior prefects were sufficient to authorise Dawn to use her powers to free us.”

Hermione’s cool explanation had the public gallery nodding in agreement and muttering amongst themselves once more. Fudge walloped his hammer down for order and hissed. “We’ll let that pass for the moment. What explanation do you have for resisting both myself and the Aurors in the school hall later that morning.” His lips twisted in a sneer. “Or do you expect this court to believe that you felt under threat from your ruling council?”

Hermione raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I do expect them to believe that, as it happens to be the truth.” She raised her voice and carried on talking as Fudge tried to interrupt. “As I recall, Minister, you refused to listen to valuable advice and council from people with more extensive knowledge of the particular threats we were facing and your Aurors were acting under the direct supervision of a man who’s motives are questionable at best. We were swamped with wounded from both the school and Hogsmeade and yet your primary concern seemed to be blocking any useful advice or aid from those around you and, once again, covering your own back.” Hermione’s voice chilled considerably. “In the limited time we had available to make a decision, we felt there was a good possibility that our ‘ruling council’ had been compromised and we took appropriate action.” She sniffed. “Besides, you attacked us first.”

Ginny nodded in agreement. “True.”

“We were acting on information that the Dark Lord had gained a foothold within the school and his agents had been secreted within the student population.” Fudge’s blood pressure scaled dangerous heights once again. “We were acting in the best interests of the community and…”

Hermione slammed a hand down on the dock. “The bloody hell you were! You were acting in your own best interests as usual and taking a prime opportunity to remove Harry and ourselves from the picture as quickly as possible. You saw an opportunity to try and discredit Professor Dumbledore and his supporters and in a feeble attempt to secure your own position thought that you could make your move and in all the confusion it would go unnoticed.” Hermione’s eyes flashed with fury. “Now that plan has backfired, you’ve drummed up this pathetic excuse for a trial and seem to have conveniently overlooked that we not only have scores of witnesses that saw us hold Hogwarts against attack by dark forces but who also saw us fight directly with the Dark Lord when we went to help Dawn and Connor’s families!”

Dawn cupped a hand to her ear and listened intently. “Does anyone else hear that?”

Kit eyed her suspiciously. “Hear what?”

Dawn grinned. “The sound of a prosecution going BOOM!” The grin widened at the appreciative titters from the gallery and Dawn tipped Fudge a saucy wink as she dropped her hand from her ear.

The Minister glared furiously around him and hissed through clenched teeth. “I’m glad that you all seem to find this so amusing. As entertaining as this day has been, we all seem to be overlooking the fact that children placed in this school by trusting parents keep dying.” He jabbed a finger first at Dumbledore and then at the dock. “And the people responsible for those deaths are in this court before you now.”

Connor’s face hardened and he surged to his feet, shaking Dawn’s restraining hand off his arm. “You son-of-a-bitch.” His face flooded with colour and his knuckles whitened as he gripped the dock rail tightly. “You take that back or I swear by all that’s holy I will see you bleeding before this day is out.”

Ron and Harry looked worriedly at each other as Dawn and Kit each caught hold of one of Connor’s arms and tried to tug him back down to his seat. Draco watched Connor from under hooded lids for a minute before climbing to his feet and joining the two girls in trying to calm Connor down. Hermione bit her lip nervously, all too aware of what Connor was capable of when he was roused, but it was Ginny that managed to defuse the situation. “Connor, sit down.” Ginny’s eyes narrowed as Connor’s hands clenched into big fists. “I said, sit down. I’ll take this question.”

Connor’s eyes danced with fury for long moments before the tenseness bled from his shoulders and he turned to murmur reassuringly to Dawn and Kit as they hung onto his arms for dear life. Ginny stood and faced the court, pushing her vibrant hair back from her face and tilting her head so her scar could be seen in all its glory. “I’m one of the children attending this school, Minister.” Ginny’s hands, hidden in the folds of her robes, clenched into fists as murmurs of pity and shock came from all around the room but she forced herself to stand unflinchingly under the scrutiny. “When this school was attacked last year, and this Halloween, where were you and your Aurors when I needed you? Where were you when my face was ripped open, I was left insensible from pain and I was forced to lie in the infirmary for nearly a month recovering from my injury?”

Up in the gallery Molly Weasley began to weep silent tears as her daughter traced the line of the ugly scar with a slim finger and tilted her head quizzically. “Where were you when one of the students accused here today risked his life to get me to safety when I was hurt and took on a group of Death Eaters to save the life of one of our professors?” Ginny’s gentle voice seemed to be hypnotising the room and she gestured to Draco, barely managing to conceal her flinch when he caught her fingers in his. “How can you sit there and blame us for defending ourselves when the people whose job it is were miles away and unaware of the situation?”

Draco glared up at the spectators staring at Ginny’s face and let go of her hand to step behind her and shield her as best he could from the looks and whispers, his broad shoulders rigid with fury at the ghoulish curiosity of their audience.

Ginny forced herself to ignore the proximity of the big body behind her and looked back at the Minister and then at the panel of judges behind him. “We’re being tried here today as adults, but when you talk of the students who have lost their lives here and who have been wounded and attacked, you seem to be forgetting that includes us. We were forced into fighting for our lives and for the lives of those around us because there was no one else to do so. You’ve known for two years that the Dark Lord has come back and that his primary targets were likely to be Harry and Professor Dumbledore, the only two people who ever stand a real chance of stopping him, and yet you’ve done nothing to assist in safeguarding this school or its students. The lives that have been lost can be laid at the door of myself and the others up here, we could have been that little bit quicker or that little bit cleverer, and they can be laid at the feet of Professor Dumbledore and the other professors for failing to stand against a concentrated attack by Death Eaters and demons, but the real blame lies with you and your council.” Ginny shook her head and her hair fell back around her face, concealing her scar once more. “You have been chosen and employed by the people to protect us and you have failed, not us. Never, ever, us.”

The silence in the court was deafening as all eyes remained fixed on the small, red-headed girl, the only noise the occasional muffled sob from Mrs Weasley as she watched her daughter defend herself and her friends in the dock. Dawn caught Professor Dumbledore’s sombre eye and then was astounded when he flashed a wide smile and gave her the thumbs up as an elderly wizard a few rows behind him, stood up to shout angrily. “The girl’s right! What was the Ministry doing when children were dying? Why was the school left unprotected?”

Ginny jumped as Draco’s hands closed on her shoulders and squeezed tightly as he bent to whisper. “Are you alright?” She twisted her head back to look at him, expecting to see a trace of a sneer or a vicious remark about her scar and its unexpected usefulness, but Draco’s silver eyes were filled with nothing but honest concern as he tried to give her a smile. “That can’t have been very pleasant.”

Ginny blinked, thrown by the lack of his usual smirk and sarcastic drawl, and then nodded. “I’m fine.” She tried to shift away from him, catching her breath for a moment when his hands tightened in reflex before falling and allowing her to go free. Ginny smiled tightly. “Thank you.”

Draco inclined his head with the old-world-grace of a wizard three times his age and smiled politely back. “Anything for a lady.” He turned to go back to Connor as questions and shouts echoed all around them from the public gallery and missed the confused frown and slight blush that stained Ginny’s cheeks as she watched him go.

Connor, on the other hand, caught all of it and nudged Draco’s ribs as he resumed his seat. “Good job, pal. You are so in there.” He grinned at Draco’s bewildered look. “Trust me, would your brother lie to you?”

* * *

Aware that things were going horribly wrong, and completely convinced that somehow, someway, Professor Dumbledore was directly responsible for all of it, Minister Fudge was desperately keen to move away from the accusing questions being shouted his way and on to the next part of the trial. To whit, the allowing of muggles and demon-hunters to enrol in Hogwarts school.

“Are you or are you not, a muggle?” Fudge peered over the top of his little golden glasses at Connor, as the American lounged against the wooden rail of the dock.

Connor nodded. “Yup.” He waggled a hand in the air. “Abracadabra.” He shrugged elaborately. “See? I got nothin’.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “’Abracadabra?’ Honestly, Connor!”

Fudge flicked a smug look at the increasingly unsympathetic gallery and said with flat sarcasm. “And yet your parents still thought it would be appropriate for you to leave your country and home and come half way across the world to a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

Connor nodded again. “Yup.” He bared his teeth. “I think they figured it would be a unique learning experience.”

Fudge sniffed. “Yes. I’m sure a magical education to someone who is completely unable to use magic is highly beneficial.”

Connor raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me? When did I say that I came here to learn anything?” He grinned disarmingly at the Minister. “The learning experience I was talking about happens to be yours.”

Fudge’s mouth fell open. “What could a muggle child possibly have to teach us?”

Connor cocked his head thoughtfully to the side. “We-ell…” There was a strong breeze and blur of robes and Connor was no longer standing in the dock. “I bet none of your wizards know how to do that!” Dawn and the others pointed with carefully deadpan expressions to the ceiling as all the people in the room not familiar with Connor and his superpowers, stared stupidly at the spot he had been standing on. All eyes turned upwards and Connor waved from where he was perched on a wide beam. “Hello.”

“MR ANGEL…” Fudge was reduced to gobbling incoherently as Connor winked at him and jumped briskly around the ceiling’s beams like an overgrown squirrel.

Dawn rolled her eyes. “Show-off.”

Connor cart wheeled along a fifty-foot long beam from beginning to end and then dropped to catch the beam with his hands, swing himself from it and flip through the air to land lightly on another beam on the opposite side of the hall. He raised his hands above his head. “Ta-da! Bet they can’t do that either.”

Harry and Ron burst out laughing. “’Ta-da?’” Ron shook his head as Connor scowled down at him. “You girl!”

A movement to the side of the room caught Hermione’s eye and she screamed as an Auror drew his wand. “Connor, watch out!”

Connor didn’t even bother to glance down to identify the threat and threw himself backwards, curling into a tight ball to spin through the air and land on another beam as a jet of sparks blasted through the spot he had occupied moments before. He tossed Hermione a salute as he raced along the new beam and protesting screams sounded from the gallery. “Thanks, Herm!”

“Buffy, stay out of this!” Dawn’s shout had both her own and Connor’s families freezing as they jumped to their feet with furious expressions. “Let us handle it!” She nodded as Buffy frowned and signalled reluctant agreement and then yelled up to Connor as he moved with all his preternatural speed and agility through a maze of curses and dusty beams. “You want a hand, baby?”

Connor grinned as a curse narrowly missed his head and he swung around a supporting joist to spring from another beam. “Nah, I got it.” He risked a quick glance down and pinpointed Fudge’s position. “Be down in a minute!”

Dawn eyed the Aurors that were grouped around the dock, pointing their wands at the rest of the accused and that weren’t actively engaged in trying to blast her boyfriend out of the air. “It’s ok; he’s the only one that can do that.” She grinned mischievously. “Well, I can do it if he boosts me and my flips are way prettier than his…”

“They are not!” Connor landed next to her and tipped the bowler hat that now adorned his head. “You just have the hair thing going for you, gives you extra flow.” He winked at the Aurors standing guard over his friends. “Hey guys, how’s it going?”

Harry waved helpfully at the rest of the Aurors that stood in the middle of the room still searching the ceiling for a Connor-shaped blur. “Er…people? He’s over here now.” He pointed at Connor and shook his head in mock reproach. “And he stole the Minister’s hat.”

Fudge clapped a hand to his head and yelped as he realised his hat was several feet away from where it should be. “How dare you? Of all the insolent, disrespectful…”

Ron snorted and snatched the hat from Connor’s head and tossed it across the room. “Alright, mate, steady on. It’s only a bloody hat.”

Kit leaned forward and peered at the offending garment. “And it’s an ugly hat.” She quirked an eyebrow. “I’d be thanking someone if they stole it from me!”

Fudge spluttered angrily. “I have never been so insulted in all my life! You…”

“Really? Never?” Draco looked up in hurt surprise and then smirked. “Note to self: Must try harder.”

Connor looked down to where the hat lay on the floor and pressed a quick kiss to Dawn’s smiling mouth. “I thought it was kinda cool.”


	25. Chapter Twenty-One B

“Miss Summers, I would like you explain how yourself and your companions felt it appropriate to allow a dangerous individual inside the school, when, by your own admission, vampires and other demonic creatures are notoriously vicious and dangerous.” Fudge’s hands were gripping the arm of his chair so tightly that the skin over his knuckles was bone white.

Dawn looked at them with interest for a moment, idly musing on the likelihood of the Minister getting so stressed out that his knuckles would burst out like bullets and then shrugged. “Dru came to help.” She peered down to where Drusilla was seated in her cage and singing idly to herself and she played with her hair. “And she’s not dangerous around us. By the way, chains and a cage? Can we say overkill, people?”

The Minister ignored Dawn’s caustic comment. “But unlike your…fathers…the creature has no soul, is that correct?” Fudge’s eyes were flat with hate as he looked between Dawn and the deceptively harmless looking woman in the cage.

Dawn nodded. “Correct. But…” She held up a silencing hand as Fudge opened his mouth. “But in these circumstances it doesn’t matter. Drusilla came to help her family, Connor and myself, and she’s here for that reason and that reason only. She’s an extremely powerful psychic and seer and because of certain events in America a few months back, she seems to be able to sense when I’m in trouble.” Dawn glanced up at Giles and shrugged. “At least I think that’s what we thought it was.”

Giles took off his glasses and gave them a brisk polish as he shrugged. Apparently that was as good an explanation as any. Dawn sighed and looked back at Fudge. “She hasn’t tried to eat anyone and she’s quite happy hunting rats in the cellars while she’s here. Buffy and Angel have agreed to be responsible for her continued good behaviour and she knows that if she steps out of line then you have my word we’ll stake her, end of story.”

“I see. Well, obviously the word of a delinquent witch is completely trustworthy. Have you anything else to offer in your defence?” Fudge ignored Dawn’s outraged gasp and tried to gather the tattered shreds of his dignity about him as the increasingly volatile members of the gallery muttered amongst themselves. All eight heads turned to look at Professor Dumbledore who smiled and tilted his head back slightly to indicate Buffy.

Dawn looked puzzled for a moment and then shrugged in agreement. “Yeah. I’d like my sister to have a chance to speak.” She raised her eyebrows at Connor. “It’s not like she could make things any worse, right?”

Connor watched as Buffy stood and then paused before turning to Cordelia and gesturing for the other girl to join her. “I wouldn’t put money on that, sweetie.” The two girls stepped past Angel and Spike, bending down to whisper something that had both vampires looking alarmed, and then proceeded decorously down to the witness box.

Dawn eyed her sister curiously and then looked back at Connor. “What did they say to the guys?”

Connor stared at Cordelia in horror and made a mental note never, ever, to let her spend too much time alone with Dawn in case she gave her any ideas. “Let’s just say that they don’t want Dad and Spike losing their tempers and the punishment if they do involves holy water and the bedroom and leave it at that, shall we?”

Dawn, blessed with a rich and varied imagination thanks to years on the Hellmouth and an up close and personal association with many, many demons, played through several scenarios in her mind and winced. “Ouch.”

“You are the guardian of Dawn Summers?” Fudge eyed the frail blonde woman in the witness box doubtfully. “The legal guardian?”

Buffy nodded. “Yes, as I stated earlier, I’m Dawn’s elder sister.” She raised her voice and looked to the gallery. “My name is Buffy Summers and I’m a vampire slayer.”

Cordelia flashed a megawatt smile that had several men in the gallery grinning stupidly back at her. “Cordelia Chase, Higher Being.”

“Higher Being?” Fudge looked the curvy brunette up and down. “What does that mean?”

Cordelia shrugged. “I’m a direct, living link to the Powers That Be. I act as seer to Angel, their chosen champion, and I have certain powers that transcend mortal and demonic capabilities.” She flashed another smile. “Think of me as a lower-level god.”

Buffy folded her arms over her chest and eyed her old comrade-in-arms. “You just have to get that god-thing in there as often as possible, don’t you?”

Cordelia crossed her arms over her own considerably more ample chest and grinned good-naturedly. “Hey, they didn’t used to call me Queen C for nothing,’ y’know.”

Buffy snorted. “Whatever.” She ignored Cordelia’s smug grin and looked back at Fudge. “Do you have some questions for us?”

The Minister frowned and shifted uncertainly. “Well, I imagine the only question that really has any relevance today, Miss Summers, is why you allowed your ward to attend Hogwarts when she really has no place here.”

Buffy looked surprised. “No place here? This is a school for the magically inclined, right?” Fudge nodded warily, Buffy shrugged. “Then this is the place for Dawnie. She is magic. It’s not a gift or a talent for her, it’s who she is.”

“But she did not demonstrate these abilities as a child?” Fudge gestured at Dawn. “There were no signs that she possessed any magical talent at all?”

Buffy shook her head. “No, not really, but she didn’t die until about a month before she came here, so it’s not really surprising.” Buffy twirled a lock of hair thoughtfully around her finger and ignored the startled look on the Minister’s face at her matter-of-fact statement. “She’s always healed fast, but we put that down to some kind of small Slayer power being transferred to her when she got made. We can only really go on the last four years because all the stuff before that the monks made up.”

Cordelia added. “Although the crazy hell-bitch and skanky little demons hunting her ass were a pretty big pointer that she wasn’t Jill Average.”

“Good point.” Buffy nodded and raised her eyebrows inquiringly at Fudge. “Was that what you meant by signs?”

In the dock, Dawn sniggered and nudged Connor. “And they wonder where we get it from.”

Buffy shrugged dismissively. “Anyway, off-topic; you wanted to know why we sent Dawn here?” She jerked a thumb in Giles’ direction. “My Watcher, Rupert Giles, visited England at the end of the summer and was given information that led us to believe that Dawn and Connor were in danger. Professor Dumbledore visited my home shortly after and told us that some big wizarding-nether-wig was gunning for the kids and that we didn’t have the necessary firepower to protect them. We talked it over and agreed to his suggestion that he be allowed to bring them to England to try and hide them and if necessary prepare them for a showdown with…um, what’s his name again?”

Cordelia rolled her eyes and hissed. “It’s Voldemort, you airhead!”

“Right, him.” Buffy nodded and looked around as distressed murmurs rippled through the room. “What? Did we say something wrong?” She glared accusingly at Cordelia. “Are you sure that’s the right name?”

“Please do not say his name out loud.” Fudge waved his hands in agitation. “We find it very alarming.”

The two women exchanged looks and then glanced back at the Minister. “Excuse me?” Cordelia cocked an eyebrow. “You find what alarming?”

“His name.” Fudge hunched in his chair and looked nervously around as though expecting Voldemort to come popping out from the woodwork. “We only refer to him as the Dark Lord or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named if we must talk about him.”

Buffy grinned in amusement. “No, really?” The grin faded as she realised the little man was completely serious. “Oh. Well that’s, um…”

“Stupid? Insane?” Cordelia put her hands on her hips and glared in disgust at Fudge. “You little wuss. No wonder you can’t sort this guy out by yourselves, you’re practically handing him the keys to the place as it is!”

“I beg your pardon?” Fudge was shocked out of his worried squirming by Cordy’s caustic comment. “What did you just say?”

Cordelia raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at the Minister’s snippety tone and then turned her baleful eyes on the rest of the wizards and witches sat around her. “Do you know what would happen if we went around not naming demons and stuff that we fought?” She flung her arms up in disgust. “Big time confusion that’s what! How can you understand a thing’s nature if you’re too scared to even say its name? Names are power, power is good.” She sniffed. “Do you think that Voldemort goes around referring to you people by stupid names?” More worried murmuring broke out and Cordelia snapped scathingly. “Oh, get a grip! Do you seriously think that when he’s giving out his big, honkin’ go kill orders he tells his scabby little minions that ‘He-Who-Gets-His-Panties-In-A-Bunch-A-Lot’ must die?” She sneered at Fudge. “That was a reference to you, by the way.” One slim hand slapped onto the wooden rail before her. “No! He says ‘go and kill, Fudge’ and then people go do it! He’s just a man, people!”

Buffy raised an interested eyebrow. “How do you know his minions are scabby? They could be pretty smooth as minions go.”

Cordelia snorted. “Please. Minions are always scabby. His probably just hide it better.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Fudge’s newly restored bowler was vibrating along with the rest of him he was so annoyed. “You have no idea what it is to spend years living under the shadow of real evil; facing the very worst the world has to offer…”

The sound of a throat gently being cleared had all eyes looking up at the gallery and at Willow Rosenberg as she sat with her hand raised in the air. “Um, sorry, hi!” Willow waved and smiled to the audience. “Um, sorry to be a pain, but grew up a Hellmouth, taken out more demons than you can shake a stake at and big check in the facing off against the evil wizard column. Just FYI.”

Fudge looked confused. “FYI?”

Willow nodded. “For your information.” She stood up. “Can I approach the, er… high chair?” She ignored the sniggering from Giles and Wesley at her remark and kicked Spike surreptitiously on the ankle as he muttered under his breath to Angel about pacifiers and diapers.

Fred patted Gunn’s thigh and stood. “Me too.” She grinned at Willow as the witch turned to wait for her. “I have some stuff to say that y’all may find interesting.”

Buffy’s mouth dropped open as the witness box she stood in suddenly expanded by four feet to accommodate the new arrivals. “Whoa, did you see that?”

Cordelia, occupied in pushing back an unusually ragged cuticle, looked up. “See what?” She smiled at Willow and Fred as they stepped up beside her. “Hey, guys.”

Willow winked and turned her attention to Fudge. “I faced off your big bad and I lived.” She shrugged. “Ok, so not the best night of my life, and he really has a major hate-on for Wiccans, but I lived and I’m ready to go another round.”

Fred smiled shyly and pushed a stray dark lock of hair from her thin face. “Me too. I’m Winifred Burkle and I work for Angel. I lived as a slave in a demon dimension for five years and I don’t really have any special powers, but I’m ready to take him on again.”

Fudge blinked, obviously having trouble believing the evidence of his eyes, and sneered. “I understand you very nearly died after your encounter with the Dark Lord. What could you possibly do that would prevent that from happening again?”

“Somethin’ violent.” Buffy grinned. “I realise we don’t look much, but between us we’ve pretty much taken care of vamps, demons, hell-gods, big-giant-snake-thingies…”

Willow raised her hand again. “Oh! The First Evil.” She nodded knowingly to their fascinated audience. “That was a stinker.”

Cordelia abandoned her patch-up attempt on her nails and silently promised herself a proper manicure later. “LA producers.” The other three girls looked silently at her. “What? Hey, some of those guys can be pretty scary!”

Fred pointed at Connor. “The Destroyer!” She beamed proudly at Connor as he blushed a bright red and sunk in his seat. “And let me tell, y’all, that wasn’t easy. It took a big ass baloney sandwich to pull that off.”

Buffy’s incredulous eyes switched from Cordy to Fred and then she shook her head. “I don’t wanna know. Anyway the point is that you guys obviously need all the help you can get and we’re the best there is. Dawn and Connor are the focus for his attacks this time around and you obviously stand no chance of protecting them by yourselves. If we take them home with us, we don’t stand a chance of protecting them, but together we might have a shot at it. What do you think?”

Connor leaned towards Dawn. “Is she offering to join forces with the people who are trying to lock us up?”

Dawn gave a resigned nod. “Yup. That’s a blonde for ya.”

Draco scowled. “Oi!”

Fudge smirked condescendingly. “Miss Summers, whilst I sure you have some experience in your own particular field, I’m afraid to allow you and your people to fight on the front line of a wizarding battle would be foolish and more than likely fatal. You really have no idea of the practicalities of what you are suggesting.”

“Excuse me? Did we miss the part where I totally kicked hell-god and First Evil ass?” Buffy stabbed a finger in Angel’s direction. “I put Angelus, one of the most feared demons in history and his buddy Acathla in the damn ground when I was just seventeen. Don’t you dare tell me I don’t know what it’s like to be in the front-line!”

Angel rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest defensively. “Why does everyone keep bringing that up?” He glared at Spike sniggering next to him. “You tried to kill her way more than I did and she’s not always ragging on you about it.”

“Nope.” Spike grinned infuriatingly at his grandsire.

“I mean, there was that thing with the sex-bot, as-well. She forgave you over that.” Angel pouted. “What makes you so special?”

Spike looked sympathetic and leaned forward confidentially. “She says I’m a better lay.” He smirked at Angel’s lap. “Apparently being hung like a donkey just don’t cut it when you can’t find the right spot without the aid of a compass and a map, Peaches.”

Fudge ignored the shout of laughter from Spike as Angel caught his head and gave him a vicious noogie and patted the air placating. “We all appreciate your gesture, Miss Summers, but I fail to see how a group of under-sized little girls can be of use in this situation when the most powerful wizards of our time have been unable to destroy the threat of the Dark Lord. And muggle girls to boot! Now I must insist you be seated and leave this discussion to another time and those more able to deal with this threat while we re-focus on the reason we are here today.”

Angel and Spike froze in their wrestling match and exchanged alarmed looks. “Uh-oh.” Angel shifted uneasily in his chair. “Tell me he didn’t just say that.”

Spike caught a glimpse of Buffy’s profile. “Oh, he did, mate, he really did. Time to duck and cover.” He looked around for Giles and Wesley and saw both men slowly sliding down in their chairs. “Follow the Watchers.” The vampires slowly slipped down in their chairs until they were eye-level with the ones in front of them.

“What did you call me?” Buffy’s eyes were bulging alarmingly in her head and a vein throbbed double-time in her temple as she gripped the wooden bar before her and splintered the wood in her anger. “What did you just call me?” Out of her line of sight, Spike and Angel exchanged another worried look, and with remembered threats of holy water rubbed in some very uncomfortable places echoing in their ears, hit the floor to begin to crawl on their hands and knees towards Wesley and Giles.

In the dock Connor grinned as his mother curled her hands into fists and stood shoulder to shoulder with the Slayer. “We need popcorn, this is going to be way entertaining.”

Dawn winced as Buffy snapped the six-inch thick wooden rail in half. “Should we remind Buff that they’re human?”

“Oh, let’s not.” Ron rubbed his hands together happily. “Fudge has had this coming for a long, long time.” He nudged Harry. “This is going right up there with the time Fred and George left Hogwarts for sheer entertainment.”

Harry took his fascinated eyes off the Slayer who had just tossed the broken wood aside like so much kindling and was now stomping towards the Minister of Magic with a look of utter rage on her face as Willow muttered a charm and took his Aurors’ wands with a wave of her hand. “How bad is this likely to…” They all looked back at Buffy as Fudge squeaked and tumbled off his raised chair when Buffy tugged sharply at his ankle. “Never mind.”

Ginny giggled as Cornelius Fudge squirmed like a landed fish on the floor under Buffy’s boot firmly pressing against his throat. Slim, delicate Fred cracked a burly Auror on the jaw with her elbow as he rushed forward to physically restrain Buffy and then for good measure kicked him hard in the ribs. Hermione’s eyebrows shot up as Cordelia whirled and planted one dainty foot squarely in another Auror’s face. “Goodness.”

Buffy glared down at the man beneath her boot and ignored the shocked protests behind her. “I’m gonna ask you one more time. What. Did. You. Call. Me?” Each word was punctuated with a nudge of her boot on the older man’s throat. Fudge spluttered in panic on the floor and tried to turn imploring eyes on Professor Dumbledore.

The ex-headmaster waved merrily with one hand and clamped the other one discreetly on Snape’s arm to prevent him rising to aid the little man. “Having fun, Cornelius?” He gave a regretful shrug. “Obviously I would try and use my influence with the delightful Ms. Summers, but unfortunately you seemed to have removed it all. Dear me.”

“Buffy, I’m not sure this is helping.” Giles edged reluctantly down from the spectators gallery and tried to smile at his apoplectic Slayer. “Perhaps if you let the nice man up…”

“I could use his wrinkly ass to wipe the walls and windows as well as the floor?” Buffy bared her teeth. “Good idea, Giles.”

Giles sighed reproachfully. “That’s not quite what I meant.” His eyes fluttered closed as Buffy yanked the Minister off the floor and held him above her head in one hand, feet kicking wildly some inches off the floor. “Oh, dear lord.”

Buffy cocked an eyebrow. “You were saying something about my lack of power, I believe?”

Malfoy leaned around Harry to tap Dawn on the arm. “I like your sister, she’s got real personality.”

Dawn grinned. “Hasn’t she though? Wait till she gets really mad, that’s when the real fun starts.”

Ginny leaned forwards. “This isn’t her angry?”

Connor and Dawn both shook their heads. “Oh hell, no.” Dawn eyed Buffy appraisingly. “She can still speak. It’s when she goes real quiet and starts giving you the thousand-yard stare that you have to worry. And Cordelia hasn’t even started glowing yet. This is gonna take a while.”

Draco looked at Connor. “She glows?”

“Only when she gets really pissed. There was this one time when I forgot to put some clothes in the laundry that a Fyluyac demon bled all over and the blood was possessed and they made the clothes get up and walk and go after Fred when she was in the shower and then try to contaminate all the other clothes and they got Mom’s three hundred dollar jacket from Neiman Marcus and…” Connor trailed off as he realised his friends were grinning at him in amusement and flushed. “Anyway, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.”

Dawn snuggled up to him and kissed his cheek fondly. “You are so weird.”

Kit raised an eyebrow as Fred swept the legs out from under another Auror. “Yeah, ‘cos that’s news. Fred, watch ou…Oh, you saw them.” She glanced at Harry when he winced at Fred snatching up the broken rail Buffy had tossed aside and swinging it round awkwardly to wallop two men sneaking up behind her. “Don’t worry, Fred’s harmless.” A pained scream echoed around the room as lil’-ole harmless Fred kicked an Auror’s crotch so hard he folded like a pack of cards and vomited on the floor. “Mostly.”

Ginny scratched absently at her neck as she watched Cordelia beat the tar out of a man twice her size and make disparaging comments about his clothes and hair while she did it. “D’you think we should help them?” A movement by the door caught her eye and she turned to see Fred and George entering the room. Ginny lost interest in Cordelia and her victim immediately. “Oh, there’s the twins! Fred, George, hello!”

The twins waved back at her with wide grins. Hermione smiled at them and then turned worriedly back to the four little muggle girls wiping the floor with the Ministry elite. “We really should do something…Oh, nice shot!” Willow acknowledged the shout of approval with a grin as she hit an Auror on the back of the head with a chair. Hermione flushed under the smirks of her house. “What? It was!”

Draco idly propped his foot up against the side of the dock and eyed his boots. They could definitely do with a shine; he’d better remember to get hold of a house-elf later on. “So, seriously, d’you think this will take much longer? I didn’t eat much lunch and I’m feeling a bit peckish. Oi, watch it with the weapons, muggle!” Silver eyes glared indignantly as Fred improvised very nicely with another piece of broken wood and hurled it like a blunt, heavy javelin to catch a fleeing Auror on the back where it rebounded and narrowly missed Draco’s face. The slender Texan giggled and waved a hand apologetically before curling said hand into a fist and popping another Auror on the nose.

Dawn shrugged and cuddled closer to Connor, figured the hell with it, and climbed onto his lap. “They’ll stop when they stop. Where’s Spike and Angel? Shouldn’t they be in on this?”

Connor tucked Dawn’s head comfortably under his chin and looked around the horrified room. A shock of short, bleached hair caught his eye and he gave a bark of laughter as he saw Angel, Spike, Wesley and Gunn lined up peeping over a row of chair backs looking for all the world like coconuts at a shy as they watched their women take the room apart. “There they are. Wusses.”

Dawn waved at Spike as he glared at her in Connor’s lap and stuck her tongue out at him. “Poof.” She laughed outright at the outraged expression on his face and wiggled her butt tauntingly on Connor’s lap. “Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!”

Connor jumped and moaned. “Honey, don’t do that!”

“You’re not scared of little ol’ Spikey, are ya?” Dawn nipped playfully at Connor’s throat. “So much for the big, brave warrior façade.”

Connor’s eyes darkened as her teeth worried his skin. “No, I’m not scared of Spike. I…” He turned his head and whispered in Dawn’s ear, watching in amusement when he pulled back and she sat frozen with her cheeks stained bright red.

“Oh. Really?” Dawn wiggled her butt more cautiously and her eyes widened as she felt something firm press against her. “Oh. Sorry.” Her mortified expression faded as she leered at him. “But hold that thought.”

* * *

  
  
  


It took some time, but order was eventually restored in the courtroom and Fudge was once again in place on his chair. “If that seems to be all then I would like to order a recess to confer with my fellow judges in order to reach a decision on the accused.” The Minister was decidedly less cocky, and a good deal more bruised and rumpled, than he had been that morning but Harry and the others still shifted worriedly in their chairs as the hammer was raised to signal the start of the recess.

“Wait.” Kit took a deep breath and stood up, flushing with nerves as the eyes of the room focused on her but looking determined nonetheless. “Wait. I have something to say.” She smiled at Dawn and then boosted herself up and over the dock rail to land with a heavy thump on the courtroom floor. Several Aurors who had managed to make it through the fight with the girls made abortive moves towards her but a warning look from Willow and Buffy had them freezing in place. The court was silent as Kit walked slowly over to stand before Fudge and then she turned in a slow circle as she took in the room. “My name is Katherine Horvath, Kit to my friends, and I grew up on the Hellmouth and I work for the Slayer. I’m seventeen years old and three days ago I lost one of my best friends fighting your Dark Lord.” She stopped as she completed her circle and found herself facing Cornelius Fudge once again. “I have a question if that’s alright?”

Fudge blinked in annoyance but nodded for her to continue. Kit nodded and tucked her dark hair back behind her ears. “Who do you think you are to judge us?” She held up a hand to stop the sudden outraged whispers from all around the court. “No, I’ve sat and listened to you all discuss me and my friends all day, now it’s our turn.” Her dark eyes raked scathingly over Fudge and Kit’s mouth twisted with derision. “You don’t have the right to sit in judgement on Dawn, Connor or any of us. How dare you?”

Kit’s face darkened with anger as she stared at the panel of judges behind Fudge. “We don’t answer to human laws and we haven’t for a very long time. I’m seventeen years old and I’m never going to have the luxury of abiding by human morality again, do any of you have any idea of what that’s like?” She raised a questioning eyebrow. “Do you know how many lives I’ve saved since I met Dawn and Buffy?”

Fudge sniffed. “Young lady, I hardly think that this has any…”

“Billions.” Kit’s flat, matter-of-fact voice had more impact than any shout of anger would have done. The room went deathly quiet. “I’ve saved the life of every single person in this room and you never even knew it.” She half-turned towards Buffy and smiled at her. “At the Slayer’s side, or at the side of whomever I happened to be with at the time, I’ve saved the lives of everyone in this room and on the face of the planet, but before today not one of you knew my name.” Kit pointed at the dock where her fellow prisoners sat watching her. “We’re up there because you think that your laws apply to us and they don’t. In the world we live in, the world you don’t see, we have to be above the law to make sure people like you can have it. We have to act as judges to ourselves and our actions every, single damned day because there is no one else on the face of this planet who can do that for us.”

Kit’s eyes filled with tears. “Do you have any idea what that’s like? How lonely that can be? Knowing that we fight in this world, and for everyone in it, but we’ll never get to truly live in it?” Kit brushed irritably at her leaking eyes. “My friend, Carlos, died fighting for good, but he gave his life every day for nearly three years before that alongside the rest of us. He was human, like me, and the only special powers we had were that we saw dead people occasionally, but he sacrificed everything because he knew that he couldn’t live with himself if he stood by and did nothing.”

Kit tossed back her hair and Harry’s heart gave a funny little thump as the girl stood and faced the wizards all around her. “We’ve made the decision to remove ourselves from the mortal world, and its laws, because no one else can do what we do. No one, including you guys, will do what we do.” Her chin lifted as she said solemnly. “You’ve all lived through a terrible time when you fought your bogie man, and many of you lost loved ones in your first war.” Her eyes were dark with emotion as she stared around herself and said quietly. “But then it stopped. You got to have eleven years of peace and safety, secure in the knowledge that the worst you had to fear was the regular humans finding out about you. None of you goes out to use your powers to help the regular world and safeguard it’s future. I’m not even out of my teenage years and I know that I’m never going to have another peaceful day for the rest of my life. Our war never ends, because evil never stops.”

Kit pointed to the dock and then to Buffy and the others. “We go through life knowing that in all likelihood we’re never going to be able to enjoy the simple things that you take for granted. We aren’t going to get to have children and believe that we can keep them safe because we’ve made too many demonic enemies to turn our backs on this life now, even if we wanted to. One of our friends is lying upstairs at the moment having lost her husband and still facing the possibility of losing her unborn child. That’s one of our number that didn’t even get to be born before its facing death.” She turned to look at Fudge again. “How many of us do you think will get to be the same age as you? Dawn and Connor are seventeen and they’ve both already died once in battle, what chance do you think they have of ever making it to twenty alive?”

Dawn crossed her arms and pouted. “Hey!”

Connor tightened his arms around her and squeezed. “She has a point.”

Dawn nestled into his comforting embrace. “I know. But still…Hey!”

Kit grinned at her annoyed looking friends and then sobered. “We risk our lives again and again to save people like you, day in, day out. As Ginny said, you have my friends on trial here today for not being able to save all your children when the vampires hit the school. You’re trying them for your failure.” Kit crossed her arms belligerently. “Where the hell were you when they were getting battered into mush? When they had to fight for the lives of little kids as they died all around them?” Muffled sobs came from all over the court as she finished quietly. “You and your ministry couldn’t save your children and so you’re punishing us for being stronger than you and doing what you couldn’t. You’re afraid and you’re old. You haven’t got what it takes to go up against this Voldemort and win. We have. Let us go, and let us do the job that you can’t.”

A resounding silence greeted the end of Kit’s speech and she spun on her heel with a final glare at Fudge and walked with rigid dignity back to the dock. Harry stood and moved to the top of the steps to hold his hand out to Kit with a smile. “Fantastic. Simply…fantastic.”

Kit placed her hand in his and beamed. “I know. If there was a gold medal in pleading for your life, I would so be a winner.” She stepped up onto the dock and smiled into his green eyes as someone behind her began to clap slowly. “I rock.”

Draco raised disbelieving eyebrows as one by one and then in groups of two or three, people rose all over the courtroom and began to applaud the dignity and courage of Kit’s speech. “Bloody hell, I think they bought it.” He eyed Kit with a smirk. “Are you sure there isn’t a touch of the witch about you?”

Kit gave him a broad wink as the applause exploded wildly behind her. “Wouldn’t you like to know, wizard-boy.” She turned and looked towards Fudge, smashing his hammer wildly against the arm of his chair and shouting for order into the din of the courtroom.

Connor slipped his arm around Kit’s waist and kissed her exuberantly as the head of the hammer flew off the handle under the pressure of Fudge’s strokes and bounced off the head of one of the judges. “You know, if Dawn ever dumps me, you are definitely the next in line.”

Kit rolled her eyes at him. “Gee, I’m so happy, I get to have sloppy seconds. And, hello, sister now?” She linked arms with Dawn as the vast majority of the public gallery began to chant and stamp their feet. “What are they saying?”

“’Free Dumbledore.’” Harry stared between the chanting crowd and the nearly incoherent Mr Fudge. “They’re chanting ‘free Dumbledore’”

Malfoy threw up his hands in disgust. “Bugger that old fool. Free us!” He glared at the delirious mob. “Free us, you stupid, pointless, wastes of air, free us!”

* * *

It was nearly nine o’clock that night when the court gathered to hear the decision of the judges. Harry was the first to notice something was amiss as they filed back in to the room from spending the last few hours under guard in the Durus Cateanus common room. “Where’s Fudge?”

Hermione looked sharply at the thin, weary looking man now seated in Fudge’s chair and then around the room. “I don’t know.” She chewed her lip anxiously. “I hope nothing’s happened to him.”

“Granger, you really are the most deplorable wimp. The man is trying to lock us up in a festering dungeon for the next Merlin knows how many years and you’re worried about his continued good health?” Draco shook his head impatiently. “And I thought you were the brains of the outfit.”

Hermione gasped in outrage and turned to Harry and Ron, waiting for them to leap to her defence. Ron flushed. “He’s got a point, Herm.”

Connor grinned as Hermione flounced into the dock, her hair crackling with irritation. “You are so sleeping alone tonight.” He rolled his eyes as Ron jumped and stared at him in horror. “How many more times? Son of a vampire, I can smell these things!” Ron’s face paled some more and Connor whispered in amusement. “It’s ok, I figured you were trying to keep it quiet, I won’t tell anyone.”

Ron nodded, looking vastly relieved. “Thanks, mate. It’s a bit…awkward.”

Connor patted Ron’s back as he followed him up the steps. “Try getting past a vampire father sometime and then we’ll talk awkward.”

“Will the accused please remain standing? My name is Roderick Toppleland and I am the senior legal advisor to the Minister of Magic.” The man in Fudge’s chair cleared his throat nervously and continued. “We have discussed the situation at some length and, taking into account some very disturbing evidence, myself and my fellow judges have reached a decision.” Judge Toppleland looked searchingly into the packed public gallery. “Have Professors Dumbledore and Snape returned?”

There was a flurry of movement and then the familiar white and dark heads rose into view, Toppleland cleared his throat again. “Although we discussed at some length the fate of the students in the dock we also found ourselves unable to reach a verdict without taking into account your own actions and decisions in this matter and the undeniable weight of public opinion. It is my sad duty to report that Minister Fudge feels unable to continue with his positions as Judge and Minister of Magic in light of the unanimous decision that was reached by myself and my fellow judges, and has resigned with immediate effect in mutual agreement with all concerned.”

Dawn’s heart began to pound and she clutched at Connor’s hand as the Judge spoke into the breathless silence of the room. “By the authority of the Wizard’s Council of Great Britain, I hereby order the immediate and unconditional release of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. They are ordered to make available any and all information they may have that will lead to the capture and imprisonment of one Tom Marvolo Riddle and they are to be made directly responsible for the students accused here today upon their release.” Taking advantage of the paralysing effect his words had on the packed room, Toppleland turned to the dock. “Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Virginia Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Dawn Summers, Connor Angel and Katherine Horvath, you are released without conviction from this court into the care of your chosen guardians and Professors Dumbledore and Snape. Miss Buffy Summers?”

Buffy, her face wreathed in relieved smiles, stood in the gallery. The judge smiled warmly at her. “I realise that you may not have formed a favourable impression of our world in the last few days, but on behalf of the council I would like to extend a formal invitation to yourself and your companions to remain with us and offer us the benefit of your obviously considerable wisdom and experience. It is the opinion of this court that the old ways are no longer proving to be the best ways in our fight against evil.” The judge flashed another warm smile. “I believe we could use some help from a more…contemporary viewpoint.”

“YES!” Dawn threw her arms around Connor’s neck and screamed delightedly as he swung off her feet and Buffy nodded in acceptance of the offer. “We WON!”

And the crowd went wild.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Two

The scene in Durus Cateanus that evening was one of jubilation and relief as everyone tucked into a celebratory buffet sent up by the ecstatic house-elves. There was even a rumour circulating that Professor Snape had been seen to nearly smile, although Harry was privately convinced that Professor Dumbledore had been hitting the fire whisky a little hard when the old man insisted he witnessed it.

“Hey, Ron, got any more soda?” Dawn held up her empty glass and waggled it at her friend as he stood chatting with Fred and Gunn. “I’m running a bit dry over here.”

Ron rolled his eyes in good-natured exasperation and waved his newly restored wand. “Dawn, you’re a witch, try to start thinking like one.”

Dawn stuck her tongue out at him as her glass refilled itself. “Ass.”

“So, you’re my new kid.” Draco looked around from where he stood in the shadows watching the other occupants of the room and found himself nipple to nose with Cordelia Chase.

He stepped back to allow himself to see her face and nodded warily. “So it would seem.”

Cordelia folded her arms across her chest and eyed him up and down. “Well, you aren’t quite as much of a fixer-upper as the first one, at least.” She cocked her head to one side. “Ok, Junior, listen up and I’ll give you the ground rules. No blood on the floors, no icky demon parts left mouldering under the bed because you ‘forgot’ that you killed a slime demon the week before and you didn’t notice he was one arm short when you went to bury him, no girls back unless you’re absolutely positive that they’re a) alive and b) not a demon of any kind, no brooding, no killing in front of civilians unless you really have to, no sneaking out with your dumb-ass brother and his girlfriend through one of her mystical cat flaps, no leaving damp towels on the floor, no leaving of the laundry for more than three days max, no wild parties unless I’m invited and we get at least three hours notice, absolutely no talking to any lawyers of any kind, especially if they have evil hands, without a very large crossbow, myself and Angel present and if you make me a grandmother before I hit twenty-five we are going to a have a problem.” Cordelia stopped ticking points off on her fingers and shot Draco a wide smile. “Clear?”

Draco gave a short stunned nod. “Very.” His eyebrows shot up as Cordelia nodded and pulled his head down to plant a noisy kiss on his cheek and wrap her arms tightly around his neck in a welcoming hug.

“Good. Welcome to the family.” She released him and took one of his broad hands in hers. “Now, is there anyone you’d like me to contact to let them know you’re ok? Your mother’s gonna be pretty upset when your father tells her what happened.”

Draco stared down at the slender fingers that stroked the back of his hand gently and shook his head as a picture of Narcissa Malfoy popped into his head. “No. My mother doesn’t really get…upset.”

Cordelia, for once, managed to bite her tongue at the lost look that settled in Draco’s eyes before he could stop it and raised a hand to pat his face softly. “Ok, sweetie. But just for the record, this Mom does upset on a global scale so don’t do anything that’s gonna set me off, ok? I can only take so many sons dying on me in one lifetime.”

Draco forced a smile. “Certainly.” He shifted uncomfortably as Cordelia kept watching him silently. “Was there something else?”

Cordy heaved a resigned sigh. “You’re another brooder, aren’t you?” She shook her head and turned on her heel to drag him out into the room and towards Fred and Gunn. “Why do I always get the brooders? Just once I’d like a nice, normal guy that I don’t have to jolly through every goddamned day of his goddamned life.” Cordelia kicked Angel’s feet off of a small coffee table and marched past him. “I mean, I’m a happy person, I don’t sit around on my ass all day long and only crack a smile when I’m sticking something in someone. Shut up, Spike!” Spike hurriedly closed his mouth and swallowed his extremely risqué comeback as Cordelia’s eyes narrowed at him. “I’m a Higher Being for crap’s sake; happy’s in the goddamned job description.” She halted before Fred and gestured at the skinny brunette. “This is your Aunt Fred, you won’t meet anyone perkier in all the dimensions, spend time with her, learn to bring the brooding down to a bare minimum and then we’ll talk.”

On the other side of the room, Willow stopped smiling at Cordelia’s exasperated speech and frowned. “Hey, I can do perky!” She turned indignant green eyes on Buffy. “I’m way perkier than Fred!”

Buffy patted her arm consolingly and snaffled another sausage roll from a nearby plate, resolutely ignoring that she’d had five already and they were going straight to her hips. “I’ve always thought so.” She crammed the savoury pastry into her mouth. “You fink they got an’more o’ those fings?”

Fred beamed at Draco’s uneasy face. “Hi, you must be just plain exhausted; we met a couple of days ago but you were kinda growing a new back at the time, so you might not remember me.” Fred tried to peer subtly around Draco, apparently to catch a glimpse of his new spine, not the least bit deterred that there was a robe, school jumper and shirt blocking the way. “That work out ok for ya?”

Draco blinked at the flood of words and then blinked again when Cordelia pulled him down to plant another kiss on his cheek to take the sting out of her words. “Take a load off and relax, honey. Things will look better in the morning.” She ruffled his hair with careless affection and slipped off to start on Wesley who was partying the only way he really knew how, with a big book and a notepad.

Connor grinned at he watched Gunn and Fred draw Draco forwards and into their conversation with Ron and nudged Ginny, sitting beside him on the window seat. “I almost feel sorry for him. My family is a strange and terrible thing.”

“So is Draco Malfoy.” Ginny didn’t bother to look over at Draco and speared a piece of chicken on her plate with a little more force than strictly necessary. “I don’t even know what he’s doing here, this isn’t his house.”

Connor raised an eyebrow at her petulant tone and privately congratulated Draco on a spectacular job in completely alienating the girl he loved. “I thought you said he wasn’t that bad?” He raised his hands defensively as Ginny glared at him. “Hey, you said it, not me. And he did nearly die fighting alongside us; I think he’s earned some cheese on a toothpick and lukewarm soda.”

Ginny sniffed. “Maybe.” She glared down at her plate for a moment and then shoved it onto the windowsill beside her with a clatter. “Actually, no, he bloody hasn’t. He just pretends to be all nice and everything and then the minute he gets you alone he turns on you and is vicious and vile and…” Ginny trailed off at the politely attentive look on Connor’s face and remembered that only she and Draco were meant to know what had happened between them in the Slytherin common room. “I imagine.” She cleared her throat uneasily. “I mean, I think that’s what he’s like. He’s a sodding Slytherin, that’s what they do!”

Connor kept a straight face as Ginny flounced off and called to Ron as he raised his eyebrows questioningly over the other side of the room. “She ran out of chicken.” Ron’s eyebrows drew together in confusion and Connor shrugged. “What can I say? She really liked the chicken.”

Spike watched the small redheaded girl stomp across the room and throw herself down at her mother’s feet as Molly sat chatting with Giles by the fireplace and muttered to Angel. “There’s more bleedin’ out of control teenage hormones in ‘ere than soddin’ Dawson’s Creek and 90210 combined.” He slugged back his glass of fire whisky and snarled. “I need another drink.”

Angel smothered a grin and silently sent a happy prayer of thanks to the Powers that they’d seen fit to make William the Bloody the de facto father of two teenage girls. As punishments for over a century of bloodthirsty mayhem went, he couldn’t have thought of a better one. Angel cleared his throat and remarked neutrally. “Harry and Kit seem to be getting on well.”

Spike’s head snapped around and his eyes glowed gold as he saw Kit nestled in a cosy corner having a quiet conversation with Harry and holding one of his hands tightly between her own as she looked sincerely into his dazed eyes. “KIT!” Kit jumped and stared wildly around at the furious bellow. “Come ‘ere, I need a bloody drink!”

“What?” Kit looked desperately confused at the furious look on Spike’s face and shrugged nervously. “So get one.”

The glass in Spike’s hand shattered as his fist clenched around it and he swore as he shook his bleeding hand. “FUCK IT!” Ignoring the glares of maternal disapproval at his curse, Spike wrapped the bottom of his shirt around his hand and yelled. “Get over here right now, Kit!”

Kit eyed Spike warily before smiling apologetically at Harry. “Sorry, insane vamp alert, I’ll be right back.” She stood and made her way over to Spike, yelping as he grabbed her arm and dragged her forwards the last couple of feet. “What is your problem?”

Angel wandered off with a happy smile as Spike began to lecture the bewildered Kit on the perils of boys, in particular boys who wore glasses and girly robes, and whistled a cheerful ditty under his breath as he made a beeline for the canapés. No doubt about it, sometimes being a part-evil, bloodsucking fiend just rocked.

Dawn gave a happy sigh as she watched Spike lay down the law to Kit and looked round as a cold hand folded around her warm one. “Hey, Dru.”

The vampire smiled as she squeezed Dawn’s hand and watched Kit stomp her foot and try to storm off, only to be dragged back by the livid Spike. “Poor William, his little girls are all grown.”

“Damn straight.” Dawn winced as Kit poked Spike sharply in his chest. “Oops, big mistake. Where’s Buffy?” She glanced around for her sister and gave a sigh of relief when she saw the Slayer roll her eyes and hand Willow her drink before marching across to her mate.

Drusilla smiled as Buffy inserted herself between Kit and Spike and slapped a hand on either shoulder to whisper something that had both parties glaring at each other and reluctantly stepping back. “William’s tender heart is hurting so beautifully. The Slayer shall have to care for him tonight and bring him inside her to…”

“Eww!” Dawn clapped a hand over Dru’s mouth with an expression of deep distaste. “Too much information, Dru. Way, way too much information.”

Dru giggled and tugged Dawn’s hand away. “My little bird. Will you play with your Granny tonight? I have my dollies and we can have a tea party under the stars and listen to the moon tell us naughty stories.”

“No!” Dawn fought back a smile at the look of mischief on Dru’s face. “There will be no naughty stories. Ever.” She leaned back into the sofa and stifled a yawn. “It’s been a busy few days, I need some sleep.”

Dru let her watchful eyes drift around the room and smiled prettily as she saw Professor Dumbledore stand from his armchair where he had been talking with Snape. “But Santa has such lovely gifts for all the good little boys and girls. We can sit on his knee and play with his beard.”

Looking more horrified by the minute, Dawn shook her head from side to side. “The hell we can. Dumbledore is not Santa, Dru, and there is no way I’m playing with his beard or any other part of him.” She shuddered as certain mental pictures arose in her mind. “And neither are you, the guy’s like ninety or something!”

Dru smirked slyly. “I like them young.”

“Ewww!” Dawn jumped up from the sofa like it had bitten her. “That’s…it’s… eww! Angel!” Angel looked around from where he was bending down to kiss Cordy in a shadowed corner. “Angel, come talk to her, she’s, like…ewww!” Shooting the giggling Dru a disgusted look, Dawn stalked off leaving Angel to mutter something to Cordelia before he walked reluctantly across the room to deal with his unrepentant childe.

“Ahem.” Professor Dumbledore clapped his hands together and beamed at the room. “If I might have your attention for a moment, I believe there are some things to discuss.”

Connor hooked an arm around Dawn’s waist as she sat next to him and pulled her onto his lap. “I’m pretty sure whatever it is it can wait till tomorrow.” He nuzzled her neck and whispered. “Wanna slip out the back way?”

Dawn’s heart rate kicked into overdrive as Connor’s teeth scraped slowly over her skin. “Ugh…”

“Ahem.” The clearing of the throat was much less benevolent this time around. Connor reluctantly pulled his face from Dawn’s neck and blushed as he met Cordelia’s pointed look.

“Or we could go sit on the sofa and see what the Professor wants.” Connor hastily tipped Dawn off his lap and made tracks as his mother swivelled around and watched the two teens hurry past her. “I’m sure it’s going to be fascinating.”

Professor Dumbledore smiled as everyone arranged themselves on various pieces of furniture and the rugs on the floor and, with varying degrees of attention, turned their faces towards him. Spike sat himself grouchily on the arm of the sofa, one arm around Buffy’s shoulders, and then snarled as Kit plumped herself defiantly down next to a blushing Harry. He jumped up, grabbed the protesting girl and marched her away from Harry with another low snarl to throw her onto the sofa next to Buffy. “Stay!”

Angel turned towards the wall and faked a sudden coughing fit to hide his giggles as Spike and Kit got into another furious argument. Cordelia watched her mate for a moment and then looked back at the weary looking Slayer as she was forced to intervene between the vampire and teenager one more. “Angel…” Angel froze at the suspicion in Cordy’s voice and looked guiltily over his shoulder. “What did you do?”

“Me? Nothing, sweetheart. You know me.” Angel flinched as Cordelia’s eyes narrowed even further and realised that wasn’t the most compelling argument for his innocence he could have presented. “Can I get you a drink?”

Cordelia tilted her head to the side and ran her tongue over her lips thoughtfully. “Hmm, I am kinda thirsty. A glass of water would be great.” Her mouth twitched as Angel nodded in relief and made for the temporary bar. “Make that holy water, Angel-face. I’ve a feeling it’ll come in handy when we pick up this discussion later on. In bed.”

Angel froze again and looked back with a hunted expression. “Coooordy!” Cordelia grinned at the two hundred and fifty year old creature of the night looking like a six-year-old caught with his hand in the cookie jar and felt her heart swell with love as he blinked sheepishly at her. She reached out one slender hand and let him bring her in close to his body, the evil grin on her face softening into one of love as he slipped his arms around her waist to nuzzle her ear cajolingly. “I can think of much better things to do in bed.”

Cordelia’s breath caught as he gave a low growl and turned his back on the room to cup her buttocks in his large hands. “They’d have to be pretty good.”

Angel ignored the plaintive moan from his son as Connor tried, and failed, to block out the sight and sounds of his parents groping in the shadows and promised her huskily. “They’ll be amazing…”

Cordelia shamelessly forgot all about whatever mean trick Angel had played on Spike and Kit and gave herself up to his deep kiss as he hauled her up on her toes and wrapped her in his arms. “Ok, fangster, you got yourself a deal.”

Connor gave Dawn a pained look. “Promise me we’ll never do that to our kids.” He shot a disgusted look at Cordelia and Angel and then his face softened as they drew apart and Angel tenderly kissed the tip of Cordelia’s nose and brushed a wisp of hair from her face before leading her to join the others.

Dawn, still trying to rid herself of x-rated pictures of Dru and Dumbledore playing Santa and his naughty little elf, blinked in shock. “Kids? We’re having kids now?”

Connor grinned at her and then at Angel as he sat in the last remaining armchair and pulled Cordelia down onto his lap to nestle contently in his arms. “Oh yeah. I’m thinking two; boy and girl, they’ll have your eyes and my hair.” He kissed her stunned face and explained with a deadpan look. “I have great hair.”

Dawn blinked owlishly at Connor as he tucked an arm around her shoulders and turned to look expectantly at Dumbledore and repeated blankly. “Kids?!”

Professor Dumbledore looked at the array of faces before him and smiled. “First of all, I would like to congratulate the students on their exemplary behaviour in court today.” His eyes shadowed as he looked at Harry and Draco. “I know some parts of the day were deeply distressing and I could not have been prouder of the way you handled the circumstances and yourselves. Well done.”

Harry blushed and ducked his head as Draco’s face melted into an expressionless mask at Gunn’s side. Dumbledore clasped his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels as the smile returned to his eyes. “Now then, I suggest our first order of business should be to decide what must be done with the delightful Miss Drusilla.”

“Nothing!” Dawn’s panicked shout had all eyes turning to her in surprise. “There will be nothing done with Dru, at all. Ever.” The room was silent for long moments and then Dawn blushed. “Oh, you meant…” She sunk down in her seat. “Sorry. Go on.”

“Hmm.” Dumbledore eyed Dawn thoughtfully and made a note to have a word with Poppy Pomfrey about supplying some camomile tea to Durus Cateanus house. The stress was obviously beginning to take its toll. “Quite. Well, as I said, I believe our first order of business should be to decide what is to be done with Miss Drusilla.”

Angel cleared his throat. “When you say what’s to be done with her, what do you mean?” He wound his fingers through Cordelia’s and settled her more comfortably against his chest. “I was under the impression she would be staying here with us.”

Dumbledore cleared his throat. “Ah.” He shook his head, the light of the crackling fire dancing in his silver hair. “I see. Perhaps if you and your companions were to be remaining at Hogwarts then I would give more consideration to Miss Drusilla staying here, but under the circumstances…”

“What bleedin’ circumstances?” Spike jumped to his feet, his eyes flickering with angry yellow. “I’m not soddin’ goin’ anywhere!”

Dumbledore gestured to Snape as he drew his wand and moved forward. “Severus, there is no need for that. Mr Bloody is quite entitled to his questions.”

Spike shook off Buffy’s restraining hand and marched forward. “Too bleedin’ right I’m entitled to fuckin’ questions, mate. I want to know what the bloody hell you were playin’ at lettin’ my girl get in this bloody mess in the first place. My second girl was ‘ere five minutes before she was gettin’ herself arrested and because of you, my other kid fuckin’ died!”

“Spike.” Buffy stood and walked to her mate to slip her arms around his waist. “Carlos’ death wasn’t his fault. You can’t blame him for that.”

“No.” Dumbledore waved a hand at Buffy and smiled sadly. “He is quite right, I also hold myself responsible for the death of your childe.” He smiled sadly. “You see, I was so confident in my abilities that I’m afraid I completely underestimated Lord Voldemort once again. I should have foreseen that Voldemort would move quickly to obtain the Key and ensured appropriate security measures were in place from the start.” The old man shook his head wearily. “I thought I had covered our tracks, you see. I thought even if the Dark Lord and his supporters traced the Key then we would have many months, perhaps even years, to prepare.”

Dawn gripped Connor’s hand tightly in hers, all her attention completely on the elderly wizard. “Prepare for what? I don’t understand, what makes me so important?”

Dumbledore turned his head and looked searchingly at Giles as though asking for permission. Giles looked soberly at the professor and then climbed to his feet. “Buffy, Angel, all of you, I owe you an apology. I’m afraid I haven’t been completely honest with you.” He took off his glasses and began to clean them as he organised his thoughts and then pushed them back onto his nose with a troubled frown. “When I first told you of my concerns for Dawn and Connor’s safety, I left one salient fact out.”

Buffy tightened her hold on Spike as he growled ominously and eyed her Watcher truculently. “What fact?”

“That we have reason to believe both Dawn and Connor are members of The Eight.” Dumbledore ignored the stunned gasps from Molly Weasley and the junior witches and wizards in the room and smiled apologetically at Buffy and then at Angel. “And as such are more dangerous, and more desirable, to Voldemort than anything else on earth.”

Dawn and Connor stared at each other and then at the silent room. Dawn heaved a sigh of gloomy resignation. “The Eight, huh?” Dumbledore nodded. “That sounds like there’s a prophecy involved somewhere along the line.” Dumbledore nodded again. “Great. Those always end so well.”

Connor rolled his eyes in despair. “Do you think there’s a small chance that there’s a prophecy hidden somewhere, anywhere, that doesn’t have my name on it?” He pouted in annoyance. “I am getting way tired of everyone predicting my future.”

The focus of the room shifted to Hermione as she gave a startled squeak and stared with appalled eyes at Professor Dumbledore. The Headmaster nodded sympathetically. “Yes, I’m afraid so, Miss Granger. I believe you are correct.”

“You are?” Ron frowned in puzzlement. “What are you right about, Herm?” He looked at Harry. “Have you got a clue what’s going on?”

Harry started to shake his head and then paled dramatically as realisation dawned. “Oh no!”

“What?” Ron glared in exasperation at his two friends and then turned to his sister, only to find her staring at Malfoy in glazed horror. “What? What the bloody hell is wrong with you…”

“No, oh no!” Draco shot to his feet and staggered back blindly, waving his hands before him as the penny dropped. “Don’t even think about it.” He looked wildly around for an escape route. “I am not playing this game. I don’t mind the occasional bit of bloodshed, but I’m not being anyone’s saviour for anything and you can’t make me!”

Spike punched the air with a clenched fist. “Right on, mate!”

“Huh?” Ron blinked and looked around the room, then his eyes bugged and he did a swift headcount of everyone under the age of eighteen in the room. All eight of them. “Oh fuck!”

“Ronald…” Mrs Weasley tried to glare at her youngest son and then waved a weak hand and sank back in her chair. “Oh, go ahead. I give up.”

Dumbledore spread his arms wide and announced portentously. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you The Eight. The saviours of the wizarding world.” He peered over the top of his glasses. “Could someone give Mr Malfoy a hand? He appears to have fallen into the fire.”

  
  


* * *

After a rather singed and sooty Draco had been retrieved from the fire grate, and had engaged in a low, vicious argument with Professor Snape when he tried to make a break for the door, the occupants of the common room had settled down once more to listen to Giles and Dumbledore’s explanation.

Willow waved a hand in the air. “Um, excuse me?” Dumbledore smiled at the young Wiccan leaning back against the sofa and Spike’s legs on the floor. “Before we go any further, could someone explain what The Eight are actually meant to be?” Willow flashed a smile. “I’m feeling kinda lost in a sea of prophecies here.”

“Certainly.” Dumbledore nodded. “The Eight have long been held to be a fantastic myth in our world, not dissimilar to King Arthur and his Knights rising again in English mythology. Four talented wizards and witches ushered the first great wizarding age in over a thousand years ago, the founders of this very school. There was a prophesy made by Helga Hufflepuff just before the end of her life, the only one she ever made, that when the wizarding world was facing its darkest hour there would arise a group of eight warriors that would lead witches and wizards the world over to salvation and usher in the second age of wizardry.”

Willow craned her neck around to look at Dawn and Connor sitting scowling on the floor by the fire with Kit, Ginny and Hermione. “And you think this is Dawn and Connor because...?”

Dumbledore pursed his lips and quoted softly. “’Two shall come, not of our world and not of their own, neither born of woman, soul-joined for eternity, they shall gather their companions and together the eight shall become our salvation’…”

“Oh.” Willow nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, that sounds like Connor and Dawnie, alright.”

Dawn sighed. “Prophesies. Don’t they just suck?”

Connor nodded in gloomy agreement. “Uh-huh.” He flashed her a loving smile. “On the upside, it’s good to know I was right about the whole ‘forever’ thing, huh?”

“If you don’t mind knowing that you had no choice in your own destiny.” Draco’s bitter voice had Connor glancing back at his new brother as he stood lurking in the shadows behind them. “That you never stood a chance from the start, that your whole life has been nothing but a big joke while the universe waited for you to catch up and sacrifice yourself for people you don’t like and are a complete waste of good air.”

Connor squeezed Dawn tightly as she shifted indignantly and stifled an amused smile at Draco’s smudged face as he concluded his rant. “Well, yeah, that too.”

“But Kit’s been with us.” Buffy looked at the dark-haired girl apologetically. “And she’s got no magical powers. How can she possibly be involved in all of this?”

Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled as Kit looked worriedly up at him. “Yes, that came as somewhat of a surprise to us as well. It was always assumed that when, and if, the Eight rose they would be, if not of our world, at least strong in the magical arts.” He reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out a small glass ball glowing with purple energy. “But I’m afraid there is no mistake. When Helga died she left in trust to the school this object. It is a mystical device linked directly to the power of the Eight and to these quarters that have lain empty for a thousand years waiting for their rightful occupants. When Kit and her friends extracted Connor from the orderlies of St Mungo's on the school roof and retreated to these apartments, the device activated itself the moment the door closed on the Ministry and the Eight were together for the first time.”

Kit gnawed worriedly at a ragged fingernail. “Oh, my Mom is going to kill me.”

Ron grinned at her. “Not if Voldemort gets you first.”

Hermione squeezed Kit’s cold hand reassuringly and snapped. “That’s not helpful, Ron.”

“But entirely accurate.” Draco’s hands bunched into impotent fists as he said coldly. “And when did you first begin to suspect I might be involved in this great cosmic fuck-up?”

Snape’s eyes glittered angrily in the firelight at Draco’s choice language but he answered calmly. “We have always known, Mr Malfoy, from the very night you first entered Hogwarts.” He drew his robes about him and looked down his hooked nose. “One thing the prophecy was very clear on was the fact that the Eight would arise at this school. Since the time of the founders there has been a failsafe device in place at the school to detect the first sign of the prophecy’s fulfilment and alert the guardian of the school to the presence of any of the Eight.”

Ginny’s eyes widened in understanding. “The Sorting Hat. The Sorting Hat knew.”

“Quite right.” Dumbledore beamed delightedly at the small girl on the floor. “It is a very well kept secret that the primary function of the Sorting Hat is not to sort the students into their houses, but to find and discover the identities of our saviours.” His eyes shone as he smiled at Harry, Draco, Ron and Hermione. “Imagine our surprise when not one, but four students were discovered on the same night after a millennia of waiting.”

“Hang on.” Connor frowned. “That can’t be right, the night I was sorted the hat tried to send me home.” He looked around at his friends. “Remember? That’s the part of the reason we’re here in the first place. It said I had no place at the school.”

“As I said, we were all expecting the Eight to be magically talented.” Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. “When it first came to my attention that Voldemort was searching for two beings known as the Key and the Destroyer, I was able to use my own connections within the Watchers Council to discover your identities, and then when Mr Giles explained your origins I realised that the time of the Eight might be at hand and that you might be of more importance than even the Dark Lord himself knew. The Sorting Hat revealed that you were of the Eight but when it read no magical ability within you it reacted in the only way it knew how with a muggle and tried to remove you from Hogwarts.”

Connor nodded. “Figures.”

Draco curled his lip. “I am not going to spend my life playing the sodding hero just because some old bat hundreds of years ago decided that I might look good on the wrong end of a dark wizard’s wand.” He shook his soot-streaked head emphatically. “No one controls my destiny but me.”

Riding on a crest of bad-boy solidarity, Spike punched the air again. “Yeah!”

“I’m afraid you may have no choice, Mr Malfoy.” Dumbledore sighed. “It has come to my attention this evening that Voldemort has regrettably discovered your true identity, and those of your companions, and is even now plotting to destroy you before the prophesy can fulfil itself. I’m afraid at the very least you have no choice but to remain at Hogwarts and under the school’s protection.”

“What?” Draco gaped aghast at the old man. “What do you mean I have no fucking choice? You can’t make me be a saviour if I don’t want to, that’s not… not…It’s not fair.”

Harry cracked a tired smile at Draco’s petulant wail. “Say hello to my life. Hope you enjoy your stay.”

Spike quirked a sympathetic eyebrow at Draco and shrugged. “Welcome to the band of buggered, kid.”

* * *

“So, where are we going?” Buffy stared at Professor Dumbledore with tired and worried eyes nearly an hour later, exhausted by endless questions, and equally endless and fierce protests from Draco. “Why can’t we stay here with the kids?”

The old wizard, now settled in a large overstuffed chair he had conjured up and sucking a sherbet lemon, adjusted the fit of his spectacles and steepled his hands together thoughtfully. “I rather thought you might be of most use in London, working directly with the Ministry to co-ordinate our defences.”

Buffy held up a hand. “See, there’s a flaw in your plan right there. You’ve been ‘defending’ the whole time with this guy, right?” Dumbledore nodded in agreement Buffy shrugged “Ok, well that’s been your biggest mistake. You don’t defend against evil, you go on the offensive. You’ve got names, suspicions, locations where this clown and his followers gather right?” Dumbledore nodded curiously as Buffy smacked her knee in satisfaction. “Then you hit them hard and fast and you keep on hitting them until you get some results. They’ve been safe in the knowledge that they’re always the ones that make the first moves, that you’re the ones that have to react to them. It’s time to change the rules and get them dancing to your tune, Professor.”

“But if we just attacked people in their homes with no proof or cause then surely we’d be as bad, if not worse, as the Dark Lord himself?” Professor McGonagall had slipped in moments before and had rapidly been brought up to speed on the situation. “You cannot fight evil by becoming evil.”

“Well, duh.” Cordy rolled her eyes impatiently and curled her lip. “That’s kind of a no-brainer. We’re not gonna kick down the door and torture them or anything, Buffy’s just saying you might want to be a little bit more pro-active in your methods of gathering information and neutralising your enemy.”

Spike raised an eyebrow from where he sat sulking at Buffy’s side. “Speak for yourself, Princess. I’m plannin’ on torturin’ anything with a pulse and a dodgy look in their eye.”

Cordelia snapped caustically back. “Yes, because the human and mortal wizards will be so terrified when you collapse screaming in pain at their feet with a mind-shattering, brain-splitting, head-breaking electric shock.”

Spike opened his mouth to reply and then scowled. “Bugger.”

Buffy gave his thigh a consoling pat. “S’ok, sweetie. I’ll make ‘em bleed, you can suck ‘em dry.”

Spike brightened up. “Really?” He kissed Buffy’s cheek. “That’s my girl.”

Willow grinned at Dawn. “What a team.”

Dumbledore cleared his throat and moved hurriedly on, avoiding McGonagall’s appalled eyes. “And there is also the matter of the missing children to consider.”

“What missing children?” Angel, memories of losing his own child still horribly raw, gripped Cordelia’s waist and stared at the Headmaster. “There’s missing children?”

Harry stared in consternation at Dumbledore. “The ones taken from Hogsmeade?” His eyes widened at the old man’s weary nod. “No, that can’t be right! When we were waiting for Connor to wake up, I asked the Aurors, they said…”

“What they had been told to say, Harry.” Dumbledore frowned at his liver-spotted hands and sighed. “I’m afraid Minister Fudge advised against trying to discover the whereabouts of the missing children on the grounds that they were more than likely dead and there was nothing to be gained by sending Aurors out to die for a lost cause.”

“All those in favour of finding Fudge and dishing out a major ass-kicking, raise your hands.” Dawn swallowed against the bile rising in her throat and smiled weakly as Molly Weasley’s hand was the first in the air.

Buffy’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Are you telling me that you’ve let us sit around on our asses for the last four days when some maniac has a bunch of kids locked up somewhere?” She glared warningly at her Watcher. “Giles…”

“Buffy, I swear to you, I had no idea.” Looking decidedly unimpressed himself, Giles stared at Dumbledore. “Nothing at all has been done to locate the children and discover if they are alive or dead?”

“Of course not.” The Professor gestured towards Snape and McGonagall. “Myself and the other professors have been using every source and connection amongst us to discover if they are alive. We have every reason to believe that they are alive and they are likely to remain so for some days.”

Willow blinked distressed eyes. “A location spell…”

“Has failed.” Dumbledore’s voice was emotionless. “The most we are able to ascertain is that they are probably located somewhere in the South-East of England and that is simply because we came up against some very powerful wards and concealment charms when we tried to search that area. Magic will not help us in this instance, I’m afraid.”

Willow nodded and worried her lip thoughtfully. “Don’t bet Hobbit Hill on that, Gandalf.” Her eyes narrowed as she turned an idea over in her mind and then said slowly. “Giles, when I met Voldemort he said something about the differences between our magics. He said he carries his power inside but that I draw mine from the Wiccan sources, natural sources.”

Giles blinked in bewilderment. “Yes, I suppose that’s true.”

“Fred, can you help me run a few tests if we get some equipment?” Willow’s face flushed excitedly. “I think I have an idea.”

“Sure, tell me what y’all need and I can hook something up.” Fred pushed back her long hair. “What are we looking for?”

“DNA strands.” Willow jumped to her feet and bounced on her toes. “I’ll put money on the fact that the magic we use has different properties. The reason their location spells didn’t work is that they’re using the same basic magic source to find the kids as Voldy is to hide them. I want to run a comparison on our blood work to make sure and then I can modify one of my own spells to bypass detection.”

“Good God.” Wesley spoke for the first time. “I think you might have something there.” The scar at his throat throbbed as his pulse point began to beat with excitement. “It would certainly make sense as to why there are magic users that don’t need the aid of wands to perform their spells.”

“Uh-huh.” Willow clapped her hands together. “And if I’m using Wiccan magic then I can combine a location spell and some kind of trace memory spell to go under the barriers old Warty’s got up and read the natural sources that he has blocked to the good guys.” She waved a hand at the confused looks she was receiving. “I’m gonna take a stab in the dark and say he doesn’t have them holed up in a nifty little modern duplex with double-glazing and a pool. Wherever he is he’s probably going to be somewhere that was built from, and on, natural sources. Wood, stone, even nearby running water can be used as a power source and give me enough leverage to see if the kids are anywhere in the vicinity.”

“Willow, that’s brilliant.” Giles gaped at the redhead in stunned admiration. “You’ve outdone yourself.”

“Not yet she hasn’t.” Angel moved Cordelia to the arm of his chair and stood up. “Fred, Wes, go with Willow and help her with whatever she needs. Gunn, Spike, we’re taking a look around the castle and going to see if we can spot any obvious loopholes in the security.”

Buffy nodded and got up, her skin tingling with her usual pre-battle excitement. “Cordy, Giles, you’re with me; we’re going to go and check on Anya and then go over some strategies with the Headmaster and try and work on a way to have us not end up on our backs screaming our lungs out the minute we go in to get the kids.” She clapped her hands. “Let’s hustle, people.”

“What about me?” The singsong voice had everyone freezing as Drusilla rose gracefully to her feet. “What would you like me to do, Slayer?”

Buffy took a deep breath and motioned Spike back as he stepped forwards. She tilted her head to the side and looked into the black, crazy eyes. “As far as I’m concerned nothing’s changed between us, Dru. You’re vicious, insane and possibly the most evil, disgusting creature I’ve ever met.” Buffy raised a hand to stop Dawn’s instinctive protest at her harsh words. “You are not a part of this group and you never will be. But…” She sucked in a breath and her hazel eyes shimmered with emotion for a moment. “But you also saved my sister’s life in that basement and you brought Connor back to us when we lost all hope that he’d ever open his eyes again and for that I owe you. I may not like you but I have no choice but to believe I can trust you absolutely with their lives.” Buffy grinned over Dru’s shoulder at Dawn and then back at the vampire. “You’re on babysitting duty until we leave here and then we’ll figure something out.”

“What?” Dawn glared at her sister. “I do not need a babysitter!”

“Uh-huh, tell it to someone who hasn’t watched you die, sweetie.” Buffy clapped her hands again. “Everyone clear? Then let’s go.” She snagged Professor Dumbledore’s sleeve as he moved past her. “You got an office or something we can use as a base of operations?”

“Certainly.” The old man smiled. “I must say, it really is quite something to see the Slayer and the famous Angel in action.”

“Excuse me?” The cold voice had everyone turning to face Draco standing a wary few feet from the fire. “I do so hate to interrupt your mutual admiration society but I was wondering if any thought had been given to my situation.” He raised an eyebrow. “For instance, where I am to sleep tonight?”

Dumbledore blinked in surprise. “Well I hardly think that our original plan of staying within Slytherin house and gathering information is likely to work in light of recent developments, Mr Malfoy.”

“What?” Ron stared open-mouthed at Malfoy as he blushed a deep scarlet. “You were going to do what?”

“Myself and Mr Malfoy went to see Professor Dumbledore last night, Weasley, and raised concerns we had about certain members of Slytherin house.” Snape shook back his lank hair and glowered at Ron. “Draco offered to remain as senior prefect to my house and instigate certain confidences amongst the students in the hope of gathering information that we might use in our fight against the Dark Lord.” Snape sniffed. “If that’s any of your business.”

“Bloody hell.” Ron eyed Draco up and down. “What’s got into you?”

Connor grinned proudly at Draco as he stood in mortified embarrassment before the room. “Maybe he’s showing his true colours.”

Harry snorted. “Yeah?” His face creased in a wicked smile, wholly alien to his usual sober expression. “Who’d have thought they wouldn’t be yellow?”

“Now, now, Harry, if you are to be sharing your quarters with Mr Malfoy, then I really must insist you all make the effort to get along.” Dumbledore wagged a finger at Harry, Ron and Draco. “Play nice, boys.”

“WHAT?” Draco nearly toppled into the fire again when his legs threatened to give out with shock. “I’ll be doing what?”

“Sharing quarters.” Dumbledore shook his head and opened the door to usher everyone out. “You are a member of the Eight, Draco. Where else did you think you would be staying now?”

“Night night, Ron.” Molly Weasley stood on tiptoes to kiss her son and then gathered a pale-faced Ginny into her arms. “I’ll come and see you in the morning. Make him feel welcome, dear.”

Ginny blinked stupidly after her mother and watched as the door to the common room closed behind her and left the eight teenagers and their vampire nanny alone. Draco kicked savagely at the nearest chair and then when that failed to alleviate the fury inside him, kicked it again. “Fuck it. Bloody, fucking, sodding, bastard hell!”

Kit edged at little nearer Dawn as Draco began to methodically kick the stuffing from the innocent piece of furniture and looked around the room gloomily. “And they stuck us with the clean-up as well.”

“BASTARDS!”

Harry winced at Draco’s howl as the side of the chair got kicked away and a cloud of stuffing flew up into the air. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

Dru clapped her hands delightedly as wood and fluff flew in all directions under Draco’s onslaught. “We shall have a lovely time and make the room scream and then I shall spank you all and put you to bed without supper.”

Dawn rolled her eyes. “What is it with you and the spanking, Dru? No spanking.” She turned to mutter at Connor. “I can’t help thinking that this wasn’t one of Buffy’s better ideas.”

Connor watched as Draco finished stomping the chair into splinters and ruined material and started in on an occasional table. “You think?”

Ron sauntered over to join them and jerked his thumb at Draco. “You know he’s paying for the damages, right?”

Connor nodded. “Gotcha. Don’t sweat it, Dad’ll cover it.” His eyes widened as he saw Dru sneak up on an unsuspecting Draco with her hand raised and her eyes firmly glued to his butt. “Dru, stop with the spanking already!”

Dawn rubbed a weary hand over her eyes. “Is anyone else getting a headache?”


	27. Chapter Twenty-Three

The morning after their victory in court, found Connor, Dawn and Kit standing with Buffy and Spike in a dank corridor beneath Hogwarts, contemplating a heavy oak door. “Are you sure you guys want to do this?” Buffy looked soberly at Dawn, Connor and Kit. “You don’t have to.”

Dawn gripped Kit’s shaking hand in hers tightly and swallowed to ease her dry throat. “Yes, we do.” She blinked back the tears that had been threatening all morning. “We owe it to him to say goodbye.” Buffy exchanged an uneasy look with Spike and then nodded as she stepped away from the door to allow Dawn to reach for the metal handle. Dawn took a deep breath and reached for the cold metal, twisting it and pushing the door open. When Buffy stepped forward to follow her sister inside Dawn shook her head. “No, this is just for us, Buff. We’ll see you in a while.”

“Dawn, I don’t want you to have to do this alone.” Buffy glanced at Connor’s set face and Kit’s pale one. “Any of you.”

Dawn reached back with her free hand and caught Connor’s cold one in hers. “And we won’t be.” She smiled shakily. “Wait here, we’ll be out in a while.” She took another breath and stepped through the doorway from the torchlight of the corridor to the dim blue light in the room beyond. Connor was the last in and he glanced back at Spike and Buffy with a reassuring nod before closing the heavy door with a soft thump behind them. Spike gathered Buffy to him as he listened to the sound of the kids’ hesitant footsteps walking away from the door. “They’ll be ok, pet.”

Buffy pushed her face into the soft material of his black shirt and sniffed. “I know. I just wish that it wasn’t so hard. They’re so young.”

Spike pressed a kiss to his love’s head and sighed. “Not any more, luv, not any more.”

* * *

When the door closed behind them Dawn and Kit had stood frozen to the spot as they caught sight of Carlos’ body for the first time since his death. Thanks to the charm that had been placed on his body when he had been brought to Hogwarts, he bore no signs of death that the three were used to, but lay peacefully on a raised platform against white sheets with his hands laid neatly at his side. A single light above him shone down, bathing him in a gentle yellow light and his skin glowed with false life beneath it.

Kit pressed a hand to her mouth. “Oh God.” She shook her head. “He looks so… so…”

“Alive.” Dawn kept a firm grip on Kit’s hand and took a step nearer the body of her friend. “There doesn’t look like there’s a thing wrong with him.”

Connor stayed behind the two girls as they slowly walked to Carlos’ side and felt his insides twist with guilt as they began to silently weep with grief. To his anguished eyes Carlo didn’t look peaceful, but accusing, an innocent cut down before he’d reached his prime thanks to Connor Angel’s inability to once again stay on the side of the light. He furiously blinked his eyes as shamed tears blurred his vision and his hands folded into big fists at his sides, he’d ruined it all again. It was all his fault. The ghost of Holtz reared its ugly head once more in Connor’s mind and he cringed from the coldly satisfied look on his ‘father’s’ face. “I’m sorry.”

Dawn wiped her eyes at the low whisper from Connor and looked over her shoulder to see him standing in the middle of the cool room, face twisted with self-loathing and eyes filled with shame as he looked at Carlos. “Connor, God, this isn’t your fault…” She reached a hand out to him, flinching when he stepped back smartly and shook his head to ward her off. “Connor, please…”

Kit tore her eyes from Carlos’ face and looked around as Connor backed hastily towards the door, still shaking his head. “I…I’m sorry, I thought I could do this…” His voice was low with horror as his eyes remained fixed on the dead body behind the girls. “I can’t, I just can’t…”

“Connor, wait.” Kit brushed the tears from her own cheeks and reached for her friend. “Please, don’t go.” She squeezed Dawn’s hand and stepped towards the stricken boy, biting her lip as he flinched away from her. “Carlos wouldn’t want you to feel this way. This is not your fault.”

Connor shook his head. “How can you say that?” He gestured in wordless distress towards Carlos’ body. “He died because of me, because I was too weak to stop myself from hurting Dawn.”

“No.” Kit’s eyes flashed angrily. “No, he didn’t. He died because a piece of crap used you and he wanted to help.” She looked back at Carlos and tears spilled from her reddened eyes once more. “I knew Carlos better than anyone and I know that he wouldn’t want you to blame yourself. He knew what he was doing every time he went on patrol, every time we went out the door with Buffy or the others.” Her voice broke on a sob and she swallowed to clear her throat. “He didn’t want to die but he was prepared for it. Our job is to get the person responsible and make them pay for what they’ve done.” She smiled tremulously at Connor’s white face. “That person isn’t you, Connor. It never was.”

Dawn moved forward to slip her arms around Connor’s waist and lay her head hesitantly against his heaving chest as guilty tears began to fall down his face. “Listen to her, baby.” She pressed a desperate kiss to his chest and squeezed with everything she had as he began to tremble in her arms. “This isn’t your fault, Connor.”

“If I’d have just been faster, stronger…” Connor buried his face in Dawn’s hair and tried to take comfort in her hard, desperate embrace.

“You can’t think like that.” Dawn clung onto Connor desperately. “You have to let it go, baby. You’ve got to move on.”

Kit watched the two of them for long moments and then slowly walked across the floor to wrap her arms around both shuddering bodies as they finally gave into the grief and shock of their friend’s passing. “We’ll be ok.” Cleansing tears began to ease the knot of pain inside her as Connor and Dawn wrapped an arm around Kit and pulled her into their huddle. Kit pushed her face into Connor’s shoulder and whispered again. “We’ll be ok.”

* * *

  
  
  


Some hours after Dawn and the other’s had said their last goodbye to Carlos before his body was sent back to Sunnydale, the door to the Durus Cateanus common room slammed shut and Draco Malfoy laid his cloak over the back of a nearby chair as he surveyed his new housemates. “Oh, just hex me now.” He was already in a foul mood after being escorted to the Slytherin dormitories and supervising the packing of his things while the rest of his ex-house were kept out of the way by Snape, and his temper wasn’t improved to see the members of his new house strewn around their sun filled common room beavering industriously away like the good little world savers they were.

Connor, much lighter in spirit than he had been, looked up from where he was sharpening stakes by the fire and grinned at the deep disgust apparent in every line of his friend’s body then vaulted the back of the sofa to clap Draco on the back in welcome. “Hey, buddy.”

Harry and Ron leaned up against the wall and nodded shortly as Malfoy looked around himself and then at them. “I don’t actually think this situation could get any worse if it tried.” The former Slytherin curled his lip at the bright sunlight streaming through the large windows and the cheerful colours of the furnishings. “How do you people survive in here without going blind?”

Dawn mussed Draco’s hair as she walked past and headed for the stairs. “Don’t worry, chuckles, we’ll be sure to get some bats and cobwebs in just for you. Herm, Gin, you guys ready to train?”

Ginny closed the heavy book she was studying, curled up on the window seat, and stood to stretch with a sigh of relief. “Yep. Just give me a minute to get changed.” She nodded briefly at Malfoy and followed Dawn without seeing the hesitant smile he gave her.

Hermione tapped the end of her quill against her teeth and muttered absently. “Just give me a minute, Dawn. I just need to work through the rest of this spell.” She rubbed the back of her hand across her cheek and spread an ink stain there down to her chin. Dawn and Ginny stopped with a sigh at the base of the stairs and wheeled around to walk back to Hermione. Dawn pulled back her chair as Ginny relieved her of the quill and then they lifted the protesting girl to her feet and frog-marched her away from the desk. “Ginny, Dawn, what are you doing? I just need another few minutes…”

“Yeah, yeah.” Dawn rolled her eyes in exasperation. “You’ve been working on that spell for five hours, you need a break. Humped backs aren’t just localised to trolls you know.”

Hermione huffed in annoyance as she was escorted past Malfoy and she craned her neck back as she caught sight of the tall, pale figure. “Is that Malfoy? When did he get here?”

Ginny sighed in annoyance. “About five minutes ago, couldn’t you tell by the venom levels in the room going right up?”

Connor grinned as the three girls disappeared up the stairs to the upper level and nudged Malfoy as he said in a low tone. “At least she knows you’re alive.”

“What a comfort.” Malfoy drew his robes tightly around himself a la Snape and tried to look unaffected by Ginny’s vitriol. “Have the house-elves managed to send on my trunks yet, or am I just expected to collapse wherever I can find a spot and give my bed to those more deserving?”

Harry rolled his eyes. “That’s the idea. We’ll have you giving up your clothes and food to the house-elves by the end of the week.” He gestured to the stairs.

“Your stuff’s up there. Follow me.”

Draco sniffed as Harry walked past him and Ron stood to follow. “So it’s true, you two really are joined at the…hip.”

Connor eyed Ron cautiously as the broad-shouldered redhead stretched his toned arms over his head and wondered how easily Malfoy could grow another spine if it came down to the wire. Ron sauntered over and seriously surprised just about everyone in the room when he patted Draco on the shoulder and continued past to Harry’s side. “Yeah, well we never used to be, we just saw how…intimate you were with Crabbe and Goyle and thought we’d take a leaf out of your book.” The furious look on Harry’s face faded as he shouted with laughter and he and Ron took the stairs two at a time leaving Malfoy gaping like a fish behind them.

Connor shook his head and took Draco’s arm to lead him in their wake. “You know, this would probably go a lot easier if you’d just try to be civil. Remember, you do want to get your hands on his sister at some point.”

Draco scowled furiously. “And if that ever happens, then I’ll expect to see Merlin rise from his grave shortly after. And what did he mean Crabbe and Goyle?” His pale eyes flashed with outrage. “I rate a Zabini, at least! What on earth would I see in those two idiots?”

Connor raised an incredulous eyebrow. “Yeah, ‘cos that’s the part to focus on. Come on, let’s go get you settled in and then we’ll go see what you got in the training room.”

* * *

Twenty minutes later Ron, Harry and Connor stood with an open-mouthed Draco outside the training room and cringed as horrific screams and wails flooded out the open door. All four boys were dressed in loose sweats and vest tops, Malfoy with much reluctance and persuasion, and were ready to get down to some serious training. Unfortunately, so were the girls.

“What on earth is that awful row, have you got some banshees in there?” Draco’s hands hovered protectively over his ears and his mouth twisted with pain as a particularly high-pitched shriek reverberated out the door.

Ron and Harry looked accusingly at Connor, who had the good grace to flush with shame, as he stood with his hands pressed firmly to the sides of his head in a futile effort to block out the cacophony of noise. He flinched as someone inside the room hit a high note with enough momentum to strip paint from the walls and shook his head. “It’s Dawn.”

“She’s a banshee?” Malfoy winced again and took a couple of steps back down the corridor. “I knew there was something you hadn’t told me. And you said I was evil!”

Ron sighed wearily. “She’s not evil.” He flinched as another high-note was mercilessly brutalised and continued morosely. “As such. She has this thing about music while she trains and she’s kind of infected the others.”

Harry peered round the edge of the door and listened to the pounding bass that was nearly drowned out by four teenage girls bellowing tunelessly at the tops of their voice. He pulled his head back and the accusing look was switched from Connor to Malfoy. “Specifically eighties muggle music. It’s ‘Vixen’. You must have really annoyed Ginny, that only goes on when she really, really wants to hurt someone.”

Ron backed up in alarm. “I’m not bloody sparring with her then! She’s sodding mental when she hears that damn song.” He jabbed a finger at Connor. “You can partner her.”

Connor, looking equally alarmed, shook his head and pointed at Draco. “Nuh-uh. He pissed her off, let him deal with it.”

“Me, what did I do?” Draco looked at the three worried faces before him and cringed before he could stop himself at another scream from inside the training room. “I just showed up!” He sneered disparagingly. “And the littlest Weasel’s a midget, what on earth is there to be frightened of?”

Harry snuck another peek into the training room, muttering gloomily. “Everything.” He shrugged. “Oh well, may as well get it over with. Come on.” He edged reluctantly into the room with the other three boys following him.

Draco was the last into the room and stopped short in the doorway in astonishment as he saw the female members of his new house trading blows before a huge mirror that covered one wall and bellowing the words of the song along with a loud female voice that seemed to be coming from somewhere behind a small table. Kit and Ginny were slick with sweat as they fought with long wooden staffs and their hair whipped through the air behind them in long ponytails as they stamped and lunged in time with the music. “Doesn’t this horrible racket distract them? And how do they have the breath for this?”

Connor shrugged. “Dawn’s got an obsession with making training as difficult as possible. The idea of the music is that they have to concentrate on the song and fight at the same time, not easy. The singing along increases lung capacity and stamina and also means that they get used to increased awareness of their surroundings if they all take it in turns to sing a line. Think of it as a really violent multi-tasking exercise.” He smiled wryly at Draco’s sceptical face and shrugged. “I think it’s just ‘cos they like to make a noise.”

Dawn and Hermione both had their hair tied back in tight buns at the base of their necks and wore identical shorts and sports bras as they fought bare handed. Draco blinked as he saw Hermione pivot on one foot to kick Dawn squarely in the chest and then follow through with a punch that rocked the American girl back on her heels. Dawn countered with a flip through the air that brought her down behind Hermione and swung a fist at the back of the other girl’s head only to overbalance as Hermione somehow sensed the blow coming and dived forward into a tuck and roll that took her across the mat and nearly into the end of Ginny’s staff. And the whole time all four girls bellowed breathlessly, and completely tunelessly, along with the song rattling the windows.

“I’ve been livin’ on the edge of a broken he-eart!!” Dawn did a no-handed cartwheel through the air and swung a lethal fist directly at Hermione’s unprotected stomach.

“I don’t wanna fall, I don’t wanna craw-all!” Hermione twisted to the side, grunting as Dawn’s blow glanced off her flesh with a dull smack and then carried on turning to bring her own fist into contact with Dawn’s chin.

Kit brought her staff down in a fast blur, straight for Ginny’s head. “I’ve been livin’ on the edge of a broken heart!”

Ginny ducked and brought her staff around in a smooth arc to sweep Kit’s legs out from under her. “Don’t you wonder why, I gotta sa-ay goodbyeee!” The blunt end of the staff hovered over Kit’s throat as she lay gasping on the floor and Ginny smirked. “I win!” Her head turned as she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and the smug grin faded as she looked at the four boys. “Dawn!” Dawn ducked another punch by Hermione and looked round at Ginny’s shout. “Company.”

“Hey guys!” Dawn dropped to her hands and swung her body round to take Hermione’s legs out from under her. “Just give me a minute here. Kit, get the music, will ya?”

Kit rolled onto her front and scrambled to her feet as Dawn stood up and placed her foot on the winded Hermione’s neck. “Submit?”

Hermione sucked in a breath. “You wish.” Her hands clapped together over Dawn’s ankle and she twisted with all her strength to bring the surprised American down onto the mat beside her. One slim hand grabbed for Dawn’s hair and yanked her head back while the other pulled a wooden training dagger from a sheath at her back and placed at Dawn’s exposed throat. “You’re dead.”

Dawn blinked in astonishment for a moment before giving a delighted shout of laughter. “I am so dead.” She rolled to her feet as Hermione released her and stretched out a hand to help the other girl to her feet. “Nice moves.”

Hermione brushed wisps of sweaty hair from her face and beamed at her friend. “I learned from the best.” She tossed the dagger into the air and managed to completely ruin her nonchalant stance when she fumbled the catch and the weapon clattered to the floor. “Oh, damn it!”

Dawn sniggered. “Yeah, you’re a pistol alright.” She skipped out of range as Hermione aimed a slap at her arm and smiled warmly at Connor and the others as she crossed the room. “Well, don’t you four look all macho and ready to rumble?”

Draco looked down at his borrowed vest and sweats with distaste and then glared at Dawn. “I look like a house-elf. An unemployed house-elf.”

Dawn nodded in sober agreement. “Right. Sorry.” She turned away and gave Connor a hug, smothering her grin in his shoulder as she muttered. “We’ll get that combat smoking jacket and cravat sent right up, Jeeves.”

Draco, unused to being the butt of a joke and not in the least interested in learning how to be, glared and changed the subject. “Where was that row coming from? I thought muggle stuff didn’t work in Hogwarts.”

Kit moved the small table aside and smiled shyly at the ex-Slytherin. “It’s a stereo.” She motioned him closer and pointed behind the table to show the small CD player in the centre of a green portal half a world away in Dawn’s bedroom. “Cool, huh?”

Draco took one look and, memories still fresh of Dawn’s less than stellar record with her portals in his mind, backed smartly away. “Are we sure that’s wise?”

Dawn scowled. “I hold the connection open and Hermione casts the silencing shield on the other side so Buffy or whoever doesn’t hear it. It’s perfectly safe.” She studiously ignored the sudden chorus of coughing and muffled sniggers from her supposed friends and concentrated on Draco’s openly sceptical face. “It is! Portals to places I have a strong connection with work every time.” She caught Hermione’s incredulous look from the corner of her eye and conceded reluctantly. “Mostly.”

Harry glanced down at the large training mat at their feet and toed the nasty purple stain there that despite the best efforts of the house-elves, Hermione and Ginny and an hour’s concentrated scrubbing by all of them with a bucket of steaming bleach and thick wire brushes was a permanent reminder of the demon Dawn had let free Halloween morning. “It’s when she has no idea where she’s going that you have to worry.”

Connor forced his own smile off his face as he recognised the signs of Dawn working her way up into a super-snit and pushed away from the wall he was leaning on hurriedly. “Anyway, we really need to get started with the training.” He slipped an arm around Dawn’s waist and surreptitiously squeezed her butt earning himself a glare and then a reluctant grin. “Who’s going to partner Draco?”

Harry, Hermione and Ron’s hands shot up into the air, eyes alight with happy thoughts of payback for the last six years. Kit shook her head as she eyed Draco’s large frame. “Not me, I’m beat.”

Ron waved his hand above his head frantically and practically danced on his toes in his eagerness. “Me, me! I’ll do it!” He grinned wolfishly at Draco’s surprised face. “I’ll go easy on him, I promise.”

Harry elbowed Ron aside. “Nah, that’s alright, mate, I’ll do it.” His eyes danced behind his glasses. “Just a nice gentle workout.”

Hermione shoved them both out of her way and beamed winningly at Connor. “I’m all warmed up, it won’t be any trouble.” She hastily re-tied her bushy hair back. “See, all ready.”

Connor and Dawn swapped grins at their three friends bouncing like eager puppies in their bid to be the one to kick some Malfoy ass. “That’s real nice of you guys, very…er…welcoming.” Connor grinned at Ron’s pleading face. “Ron, why don’t you…”

“I’ll do it.” Ginny’s quiet voice silenced the room and she straightened up from adjusting the fit of an ankle holster that held a similar wooden training dagger to Hermione’s. She put her hands on her slim hips and looked the incredulous Malfoy up and down. “Just an assessment, yes?”

Connor grinned evilly at Draco. “That’s the idea. Ok, Gin, you’re up.” He watched her walk to the middle of the training mat and ignored the chorus of disappointed whining from Harry and the others. “Draco?”

“You’re not serious?” Draco scowled at Connor’s unrepentant face and flexed his large hands. “I’ll snap her in two.”

Dawn snorted. “You just go right on believing that, pal.” She blinked at the look of open hostility on Ginny’s face and finished thoughtfully. “Maybe we’d better just go with blunted stakes for now.”

Connor gave Draco a helpful shove to get him moving. “Go get her, tiger.”

* * *

Draco stood on the large mat in the centre of the brightly lit training room and looked down in astonishment as Ginny Weasley took a defensive pose in front of him and raised a stake in her right hand. He glanced over his shoulder at his new house members as they leaned against the wall watching him silently and then back at the small girl dressed in sweats and a white baby-t. “I am not going to fight her. I’ve never heard of anything so ridi…ooof!”

Dawn nodded to herself as Ginny fell neatly back from her roundhouse kick and watched Malfoy fold as he clutched his stomach. “First point to Ginny. Gin, try and keep your weight centred on your supporting leg, you were a little off balance on that one.”

Ginny nodded and bounced on her toes lightly as Malfoy righted himself and stared at her in amazement. He staggered back as she spun and kicked out again, and narrowly missed taking a petite foot full on the jaw. “Are you mad? Stop that, you’ll hurt yourself!” Ginny raised an eyebrow as she darted forward and slapped the side of Draco’s head before he could stop her and then danced back out of range. The newest member of Durus Cateanus stood with his mouth hanging open and a red slap mark blooming on his temple. “You hit me!”

Ginny cocked her head to one side, sending her long ponytail of shining hair swinging crazily. “Ye-ees. We’re sparring, that’s what I’m meant to do.” She twirled her stake and explained condescendingly. “And now you hit me back.”

Draco stared in amazement with the battle-eager little girl before him and tried to reconcile her with the frightened figure that he’d had writhing frantically beneath him only days before. He edged slightly forward and lowered his voice. “Ginny, be serious, I’ll hurt you. I don’t want to do that again.” His face flushed as she glared at him. “I don’t want to…” Only the sudden flash in her eyes alerted him as Ginny swung out with a clenched fist and his head snapped back just out of range of her solid right-hook.

Ginny didn’t give him time to recover and spun into a strong kick to take his legs out from under him. Draco found himself on his back with her stake pressed to his heart and her face inches from his. “Think of this as payback, you bastard.” Ginny pushed up and away and backed up as he scrambled to his feet and hissed. “We’re on my ground now.”

Draco backed away hurriedly and looked around for Ron. “Weasel, for Merlin’s sake, talk to her! She’s half my size, I can’t hit her!”

Ron, occupied in trying to get Hermione to hold his hand, looked up and smirked as Draco Malfoy, terror of Hogwarts and all round git, ducked another punch from Ginny. “Damn right you can’t, she’s quicker than a greased elf. Don’t worry about it, Malfoy, Ginny can take care of herself.”

Ginny feinted left and then spun to bring her elbow back to slam into Malfoy’s side as he made a wild grab for her. “Bloody right I can.”

Draco clutched his torso as pain exploded along it and wheezed. “Ginny, come on, we both know you’re no match for me. Just stop and…OW!” He clapped a hand to his mouth and blinked comically at her, as he tasted blood. “You shplit ma lip!”

Ginny twirled her stake again as Hermione, Dawn and Kit broke into wild applause behind her. “Better move a bit quicker next time then.” Her eyes opened wide as she saw rage fill his face and despite herself felt a quick shudder of fear at the look of fury in his eyes. Ginny swallowed and forced herself to remember that Malfoy was the one at a disadvantage this time. “Come and get me, snakeboy.”

Draco wiped his hand across his mouth, hissing in pain as he dragged on his split lip, and flexed his hands warningly. “I’m warning you, Ginny….”

Ginny forgot they had an audience and that it was only meant to be an assessment of Malfoy’s hand to hand skills, the session had suddenly got very, very personal. “Coward…” She yelped as Malfoy lunged forward with a furious shout but stood her ground to clap two small hands on the front of his vest, throw herself backwards and very neatly send Draco flying over her head.

Hermione absently rubbed her stomach where Dawn had landed a particularly solid kick in their own sparring session and watched as Ginny dodged out of Malfoy’s path and kicked him smartly on the butt as he shot past her. “She’s really good.” The observers all winced as Ginny turned fluidly and stuck out a foot just in time for Malfoy to sprawl over it on his next rush. “It’s probably a good idea that we didn’t give her a proper weapon, Malfoy would be unconscious by now.”

Kit took a bottle of water from Harry with a smile and sucked at the cool fluid as Ginny ducked a wild grab and jabbed an elbow in Draco’s kidneys. “Has she really only been training with you guys a couple of months?”

Dawn nodded proudly and grinned in appreciation as Ginny hooked a foot around Malfoy’s ankle to send him crashing to the ground once more. “Yep. Just since we got here. She’s really got a grip on things fast. Ginny, stop playing with him and go for the kill!”

Draco scowled as he got to his feet. “Playing with me?” His lip curled. “I’ll show you playing…” He circled Ginny warily and eyed her up and down. “Are you ready for me, Ginny?”

The husky question sent a shiver down Ginny’s spine and she licked her dry lips as she met Draco’s silver eyes. “Yes. Always.” Her chin tilted defiantly as she whispered. “You won’t win this time.”

Connor draped an arm over Dawn’s shoulder, profoundly grateful they had moved past the sticky stages of first contact, and watched as Malfoy circled Ginny slowly, waiting for her to drop her guard. He cast a weather eye over Ginny’s wary face and was pleased to note that although she was obviously watchful for Draco’s next move there seemed to be none of the low-grade terror that emanated from her in the aftermath of the battle in the Great Hall. He leaned back against the wall and pulled Dawn to rest comfortably against the front of his body, sighing happily as he prepared to see his new ‘brother’ get his ass kicked in spectacular fashion.

Dawn snuggled into Connor’s embrace with a small frown as she realised that there was definitely something more going on between Ginny and Draco than the usual run of the mill hostility. No stranger to unresolved sexual tension thanks to prolonged contact with Buffy and Spike in the early stages of their relationship, she watched with fascination as Draco looked Ginny’s slim body up and down with glittering eyes and grinned appreciatively. Dawn glanced at Harry and the others and felt a small twinge of relief as they showed no signs of the underlying tension between the pair on the mats, just a healthy anticipation for a little more Malfoy blood being spilt. She tilted her head back and whispered into Connor’s ear. “You set them up.”

Connor winked and grinned unrepentantly. “Yup. Finally figured it out, huh?”

Dawn snuck a quick look back to the centre of the room as a loud grunt signalled Ginny planting a foot squarely on Malfoy’s thigh and knocking him back a pace. “I don’t know how I missed it.”

Connor winced as Draco grabbed for Ginny and she danced under his arm and punched him squarely between the shoulder blades to send him stumbling forwards. “Well, you’ve been busy.”

Draco’s bloodied lips curled back in a feral snarl and he spun quickly to launch himself low at Ginny to grab her foot as it kicked out and yank her off balance.

Dawn’s eyes widened as Ginny went down with a yell but maintained the presence of mind to hit out with rigid stiffened fingers and jab Draco squarely in his throat as he followed her down. Ginny rolled swiftly as Draco let go of her ankle and grabbed for his throat with a pained grunt, Dawn grinned as the small girl jumped to her feet and delivered a hefty slap to the back of Draco’s head to send him face forward onto the mats. “It’s so obvious.” She squeezed Connor’s arm as Ron led the cheers as his sister compounded her victory by planting a foot on Malfoy’s head and grinding his face into the mat with a malicious grin. “They remind me of us when we first met.”

Connor tore his eyes from the deeply pitiful sight of Malfoy being brought low by his intended woman and gaped at the back of Dawn’s head. “What? We were nothing like that!”

Dawn snorted. “Sure we were. I was cocky and cute, you were a stuck up tight-ass with no sense of fun.” She patted his arm with a giggle as she felt him puff up in indignation behind her. “You were lucky I came along and saved you.”

“I did not have a tight ass!” Connor pulled Dawn around to face him and glared at her. “And I was very funny.”

Dawn cocked her head innocently. “Was that before or after you got bundled by those kids with a blanket?” She leered at him as her hands slipped round his waist and headed south. “And you do so have a tight ass.”

Connor was saved from replying by a scream from Hermione. “Ginny!” Dawn hurriedly released her hold on Connor’s ass and spun in his arms to see that somehow Draco had managed to bring Ginny down on the mats and now had her pinned in an almost identical manner to the night in the Slytherin common room.

“Uh-oh.” Connor sniffed the air and caught an unmistakable whiff of arousal from Draco and then did a startled double take when he realised that it wasn’t only the blond boy’s scent that was filling the room. He moved Dawn hurriedly aside as Ron and Harry jumped forward. “I’d better go and…”

Ginny hooked a foot around Draco’s braced right leg and gave him a blinding smile. Draco blinked in surprise and relaxed his hold slightly, hesitantly giving her a smile of his own. Ginny lost her own smile as soon as she felt his hold on her loosen and bucked suddenly, using her shoulders and hips to guide him to the leg that she had pinned. Draco toppled to the side with a startled yell and found himself flat on his back with their positions reversed.

Draco had a moment to appreciate having Ginny sprawled on top of him before she scrambled up on all fours and with a smug look of satisfaction brought her bony knee up into full contact with his crotch as hard as she could. The high-pitched scream had Harry, Ron and Connor wincing in sympathy as his mouth opened wide with shock and then Draco was lost in his own private world of pain. Ginny rolled to her feet to eye her thoroughly rousted opponent speculatively. “You’re too heavy on your feet and you rely too much on your size and brute strength.” She leaned down to pat Draco’s shuddering shoulder almost kindly. “Your technique needs work.”

Connor watched in open-mouthed amazement as Ginny strolled over to where clean towels were hanging on the wall and began to pat her face and torso dry of sweat. Ginny tossed the towel down and cocked an eyebrow at Hermione and the other girls. “That was bracing. I could really go for some ice cream, anyone else interested?” Without looking back she sauntered casually across the room and through the open door.

Hermione stared at Draco’s agonised figure and then at the open door, she shrugged. “Ok. Kit, Dawn?” The two Americans nodded and with wide-eyed looks over their shoulders followed Hermione from the room.

Ron cleared his throat and edged a little nearer Draco. “You ok?” Two pain-wracked eyes glared through a mist of agonised tears and Ron winced again. “Probably not, eh?”

Connor stepped around Ron and Harry watching Draco with deep male sympathy as he writhed in undignified misery on the floor. “Can I get you some ice?”

Draco sucked in deep lungfuls of air and forced his bitter reply past the lump of nausea in his throat. “I’m…going…to…kill…you…”

Connor’s lips twitched in amusement. “That would have sounded a whole lot more convincing if you weren’t speaking like Mickey Mouse.” Harry burst out laughing behind them at the muggle reference and Connor grinned apologetically down at Draco’s twisted, purple face. “Welcome to Durus Cateanus, bud.”


	28. Chapter Twenty-Three B

By the time the boys had got Draco on his feet, and able to walk without limping, Dawn and the others had showered and were long gone in search of Buffy and the others. Connor waited until Ron and Harry had gone down to the common room to put on their robes before approaching the decidedly prickly Malfoy. “Draco?” He grinned as the blond boy scowled at him in the mirror as he was adjusting his school tie. “I just wanted to make sure you were ok.” Connor gestured aimlessly. “Y’know, about everything.”

Draco gave his tie one final tug and ignored the mirror’s hum of approval as he turned to face Connor. “What on earth do I have to be upset about? The being disowned by my parents? The being exposed as a Death Eater? The revelation that I seem to have been marked from birth as part of some kind of insane world saving crusade? Or perhaps the fact that thanks to the littlest Weasel my ability to someday procreate, or indeed have any kind of sexual liaison again, ever, has been severely compromised?”

Connor shifted uneasily. “Well, I was actually talking about leaving your house and stuff, Harry and the others took it pretty hard when it happened to them, but, yeah, I guess all of the other stuff too.”

Draco lowered himself gingerly onto his new bed and stared at the floor for a moment before shooting a sideways glance at Connor and muttering uncomfortably. “Do you know I actually envied them for a brief second when that happened?” He squirmed slightly at Connor’s surprised eyes and looked back down at the floor, nudging the edge of the purple rug there with his boot. “Just having the freedom to choose…”

Connor frowned at the unconscious note of longing in the other boy’s voice and sat down next to Draco on the bed. “You still get to choose.” He shrugged at Draco’s snort of disbelief. “It’s true. If you really don’t want to take this on, then Dad can get you out of here. You’d be a lot easier to hide in our world; Dawn and me are pretty well known there, but maybe no one will figure out you have a connection to Dad or Buffy. You can just walk away.”

Silence stretched in the room as Draco gave serious thought to the tempting offer. Freedom. The word echoed in his mind like a note of the purest music, the one thing all his wealth had never managed to buy him. He opened his mouth and then caught his breath as his ribs gave a warning twinge where Ginny’s deceptively delicate foot had landed an hour earlier. “I…think I’ll stay.” Draco rubbed his side thoughtfully and avoided Connor’s face. “I’d hate for Potter and Weasley to finally kick the bucket and me not be there to witness it.”

Connor’s lips twitched in amusement. “Obviously. Well, it’s your decision.”

Draco nodded as he chewed his lip in consideration. “Yes. It is.” He rubbed his ribs again. “I just wish it wasn’t so painful to make.”

Connor got to his feet and picked up a small scrap of cloth from Draco’s bedside cabinet. He stretched out his hand and grinned. “All the best decisions are.”

Draco stood and picked up his new house badge with a grimace of distaste between his finger and thumb. “Couldn’t they have made it less…gaudy? I feel like I should be finding matching earrings or something.”

Connor shrugged as Draco pulled off his Slytherin badge and murmured a charm to fix his new one to the front of his robes. “I think it brings out your eyes.” He clapped the glowering blond on the back and turned towards the door. “C’mon, let’s go grab a bite to eat and find the others. I’m thinking if there’s no danger of the world ending today, we can head outside and you can teach me to ride that broom you were talking about.”

Draco followed Connor through the door and thought furiously for a moment before finally working out what he was talking about. “Oh, right.” He shook his head slightly as he realised how much his life had changed since that drunken couple of hours a few nights ago. “I thought we were going to wait until night fall so unwanted spectators could be kept to a minimum?”

Connor barrelled down the stairs two at a time and made for the common room door. “What’s the point? We can do what we like now.” He snatched his own robe from the back of one of the sofas and flung it around his shoulders with a well-practised twirl.

Draco nearly missed the bottom step at Connor’s casual answer and he stared at the other boy for a moment before a slow grin, the like of which was rarely seen on his cool face, stretched his mouth wide. “Yes, we can, can’t we?” His heart suddenly seemed a whole lot lighter as Connor grinned mischievously back at him and he walked across the room with an almost bouncing gait. “Anything we bloody like.”

* * *

When the two boys got downstairs, it was to find the Great Hall empty of all things wounded and blood-soaked and the familiar five house tables and colours back in their usual places. Connor stayed on Draco’s right side as they walked into the huge room, keeping his body carefully between the other boy and his former house. Draco fixed his eyes straight ahead and even when the whispers of ‘betrayer’ and ‘traitor’ started to sound his face remained a cold mask. Harry and Ron ignored the catcalls and derisive shouts from Seamus and Dean at the Gryffindor table but Dawn, still feeling buzzed from her training session with the girls, whipped round in her seat to point her wand at the two boys. “If I hear another word outta you guys before this time next week, I’m gonna forget I’m a lady.”

Kit picked up a buttered croissant from the basket at the centre of the table and weighed it thoughtfully in her hand as she worked out trajectories and how much one small, savoury pastry could hurt if you got smacked in the eye with it. “You’re a lady?”

Hermione smiled. “I missed the notice on that.” She drew her own wand and grinned sunnily at the Gryffindors. “Don’t make us curse you.”

Ginny, shoving down chocolate ice cream like it was going out of fashion, glanced up. “Who cares, it’s Malfoy; we don’t like him anymore than they do.” She leaned forward and peered around Kit. “Is there any more cream?”

Dawn reached for the bowl of whipped cream and shoved it towards Ginny. “So not the point. He might be an ass, but he’s our ass now.”

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

Connor gestured to Draco to sit down and then took his place next to him. “So, I take it the news is out then?” He glanced back over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at the cold, hateful faces of the Slytherins. “They know?”

Hermione nodded and re-filled her goblet with pumpkin juice. “Yes. Professor Snape told them after Draco moved his stuff to our house and then Professor Dumbledore made the announcement to the rest of the school a few moments ago.” She shot a vaguely condemning look at Harry and Ron. “I think they wanted to avoid the scenes from last time.”

Ron and Harry exchanged looks and wisely buried their noses in their own goblets. Draco nodded stiffly at Kit as she passed him a plate of potato cakes and glanced at Dawn. “I take it that the news was unwelcome?”

Dawn grinned and snagged a green apple from the fruit bowl as Hermione held it out to her. “What do you think?” She bit into the crispy fruit with strong, white teeth and crunched happily. “Went down like a cup of cold sick.” Expressions of extreme distaste settled on the faces of her companions, with the exception of Ginny who reached for more whipped cream. Dawn swallowed her mouthful. “Sorry. Blame Spike.”

Connor, ignoring the hundreds of eyes that bored into him from every direction, started to slant a curious look at Dawn. “So where’ve all the people gone?” He gestured with his fork and then stabbed down to impale a piece of broccoli. “I thought we were refugee central?”

Hermione shrugged and started to peel a banana, unaware of Ron going stock still beside Harry. “Apparently the Ministry really weren’t joking when they said they were going to start sorting things out. The west side of the grounds is now off bounds to all students and the Professors and Aurors have been working through the night to set up some kind of refugee camp for anyone that runs from Voldemort.” She placed the banana in her mouth and her lips closed around it before the tip was delicately nibbled off and she continued. “House-elves have been shipped in from all over the country to help feed and care for the refugees and our own are back to concentrating on the school.” She sniffed disparagingly. “Although how we can say we’re fighting for freedom when we’re actively using and supporting slave labour is beyond me.” She raised the banana to her lips again and Ron shifted uncomfortably as he caught a flicker of her pink tongue.

Connor raised an eyebrow as he heard the increase in Ron’s heart beat and shook his head in amusement before replying. “So, what, business as usual? Just forget about the madman gunning for all the magic folk and go back to classes and stuff?”

Harry propped his elbows on the table and shot Ron a confused look as his friend’s eyes glazed over while he watched Hermione eat her fruit. “Pretty much. From what we can gather, Dumbledore’s allowed a semi-permanent contingent of Aurors to be stationed at the castle, but only patrolling outside and overseeing the camps. All the students are staying here unless their parents decide otherwise, which is unlikely since this is pretty much the safest place to be right now, and the professors are starting classes again from tomorrow.” A faint frown creased his brow. “But I don’t know what’s happening about the missing children and stuff though.”

Dawn shook her head. “Not our priority.” She shrugged her shoulders at the shocked looks from everyone bar Draco and Ginny, both too intent on their loaded plates, and said knowingly. “Buff and the others are gonna be all over that, trust me.” She leaned forward and nodded at Hermione. “Our priority is researching what this whole prophecy thingie means for us and working on a way to find Xander and bring him home. I’m not accepting he’s lost for good until I see a body or the face of the thing that ate him.”

Kit screwed up her face in distaste. “Nice image, Dawn.” She swallowed her mouthful of potato with a pained grimace and nodded. “But right there with you on the sentiment.”

Dawn opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by a loud voice bellowing from the back of the hall. “Ron! Harry!” Fred and George Weasley waved from the entrance to the hall. “Come on, you lot are needed upstairs.”

Ron blinked as he came out of his hormone-induced trance and looked stupidly at his brothers for a moment before waving back. “Right, be right there.” His eyes slid back to Hermione just as she was popping the last bite of banana in her mouth and tidily folding and laying the skin on the side of her plate. He sighed. “Ok, we’re coming now.”

Draco scooped a last potato cake off the serving platter and looked between Ron and Hermione with a sneer. “You wish, Weasel.”

Connor jumped hastily to his feet as Ron turned a livid purple and his hands clenched into fists. “C’mon Draco.” Not giving the blond time to object he grabbed the back of Draco’s robes and hustled him away from the table, leaving Dawn looking thoughtfully between Ron and the scarlet Hermione and the others just looking confused. “Civil, I said civil!” Connor glanced back at Ron and was less than reassured to see the big redhead checking under his robes for his wand and then in his shoulder sheaths for the stakes they all wore. “I’ll settle for just plain non-offensive.”

Draco smirked. “Where’s the fun in that?” He nudged Connor in the ribs and took great pleasure in ignoring the poisonous looks of the Slytherins as he chuckled. “We can do anything we bloody like, remember?”

Connor, having a lightening course in how it felt to be Angel for a day, groaned. “Oh God. You’re gonna die.”

* * *

Instead of leading the eight to their common room, Fred and George took the familiar path to the Room of Requirement, chatting happily to their siblings as they walked. Hermione and Harry walked alongside Dawn as Kit found herself in between Connor and Draco. Connor glanced out of the corner of his eye at the silent girl and nudged her in the ribs. “You ok?”

Kit smiled at him wearily. “Yeah, just thinking about my mom and how she’s going to handle all of this.”

Connor winced sympathetically. “I’m guessing not good?”

Kit sighed deeply and watched as a small portrait of some sheep was suddenly invaded by a group of howling goblins. “On a scale of one to ten on the meltdown scale, I’m thinking this will score an even hundred. Maybe two.” She tucked a strand of dark hair behind one ear and looked gloomily at the ground. “She’s an accountant, how am I going to explain that I fight the forces of darkness in my spare time under the direction of my school guidance counselor and now I’m part of a great big honkin’ prophesy for people that shouldn’t actually exist?” Her mouth twitched in involuntarily amusement. “Or that she’s not a one parent family anymore and I found myself a one hundred and thirty year old souled demon pseudo father?”

Connor looked at her thoughtfully. “Carefully?” He slung a comforting arm around Kit’s shoulders and added. “And I understand that a bottle of scotch always helps in these situations.”

Draco coughed on Kit’s other side and muttered. “It’ll have to be a big bottle of scotch.” He caught Connor’s unamused eye and found himself adding. “At least you’re not dead. I’m sure that’ll count for something.”

Kit raised her hand and gripped Connor’s as it lay on her shoulder. “Don’t bet on it.”

Connor squeezed Kit’s fingers in his. “Look, maybe I can come with you and help you explain.” His chest puffed out proudly. “I’m getting good at that.”

Kit, memories still fresh of Connor loftily informing the wizarding council all about his family connections, visibly paled and could think of nothing else to say but a weak. “Thanks.” She was still idly mulling over the mental image of her mother’s appalled face as Connor earnestly explained vampire lore and family, possibly with the help of flow charts and acetates, when they turned into the familiar doorway and ran into the backs of Harry, Hermione and Dawn. “Oof! What’s going on?” Kit rubbed her nose and tried to peer over Harry’s shoulder. “Are we getting arrested again?”

Harry, a huge grin stretching his mouth wide, glanced back over his shoulder. “Unlikely.” He looked back into the room and waved his arm over his head. “Remus!”

Remus Lupin looked up from where he was deep in conversation with Tonks and Mad Eye Moody by a crackling fire and waved back. “Harry!” He bounded across the room, looking healthier and better dressed than Harry had ever seen him. “Harry, my boy, it’s good to see you!”

Connor eyed the man who hugged his friend enthusiastically and sniffed the air. He glanced at Dawn and mouthed cautiously. “Not human.”

Dawn edged back a pace and planted herself in front of Kit. “You sure?” She looked the lean man up and down. “What is he then?”

Remus released Harry and winked at Ron and Hermione as they beamed at him delightedly. “I’m a werewolf. A shape shifter.” He smiled as Dawn coloured with embarrassment that her low whisper had been overheard and then braced himself for the inevitable initial rejection that invariably followed people being told his true nature. Then blinked when both Connor and Dawn relaxed and smiled warmly at him.

“Oh, hi, nice to meet you. I’m Dawn and this is Connor and Kit.” Dawn held out her hand and waited for Remus to take it. When he just stared at her, Dawn chewed worriedly at her lip. “Sorry, are the introduction protocols different for British wolves?” A sudden suspicion had her forehead creasing. “You don’t have to sniff my butt or anything do you?”

Fortunately Remus was saved from answering by a loud shout from the other end of the room. “Ron! Ginny!” The two Weasleys jumped and stared around until they saw a tall, red-headed man struggle up from the depths of a deep armchair.

“Dad!” Ginny took off like a guided missile and tore past the various occupants of the room to launch herself into her father’s outstretched arms. She planted a hefty kiss on her father’s cheek and squealed with joy as he spun her round off her feet. “Dad!”

Ron poked Fred, or possibly George, hard in their ribs. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

George, or maybe Fred, grinned back. “He wanted it to be a surprise. Keyed in from London this morning.” The twin shoved Ron forward. “Go say hello like a good ickle Ronniekins.” Ron stumbled forward with a fierce glare at his elder brothers and then walked briskly towards his father with a wide grin, finally enjoying a hearty embrace of his own from Arthur Weasley.

Kit stared around the room. “Wow, this has changed.” The tiers of seating that had been so packed during their trial had vanished overnight and now rows of comfortable padded chairs and sofas were arranged throughout the room to accommodate the people that now milled around. Fireplaces were arranged along every wall, flames crackling cheerfully in every grate to take the chill from the November air and tables were dotted around the room laden with goblets and platters of sandwiches and sausage rolls in case anyone felt the need for sustenance.

Hermione looked around approvingly. “Yes, much more comfortable. The room is able to take on the appearance of whatever is needed at any specific time. Obviously a comfortable meeting area was required this morning and…” She swept her hand through the air. “Voila!”

Kit grinned. “Big improvement on the wanting to lock us up and…” She broke off as a familiar face caught her eye and her jaw sagged. “Mom!”

Elizabeth Horvath, Liz, pushed past Professor McGonagall as she caught sight of her wayward daughter and ran across the room. “Kit.” She pulled her daughter into a bone-crushing hug and tears of relief ran from her eyes. “Thank God you’re safe!”

Kit clutched at her mother in shock and stared blindly at the room that was watching the reunion in approval. “Wh…what are you doing here?” She pulled back slightly and looked at her mother’s haggard face. “You’re supposed to be in Sunnydale.”

Liz shoved a faded lock of brown hair back from her face and narrowed grey eyes at her daughter. “The same could be said of you, young lady.” She gripped Kit’s shoulders and shook her hard. “What were you thinking? I’ve been going out of my mind with worry about you. You disappear without a word; Sunnydale’s turned into a war zone and the next thing I know you’re in England. You don’t even have a passport!” Her slim hands trembled as they tightened on Kit’s shoulders. “Then this morning Principal Wood showed up at my door to tell me that Carlos’ body had been taken to the hospital and that I needed to go with him immediately as I could be in danger.” Liz’s lips trembled as she stared piercingly at her only child. “He took me to his office and turned me over to a man with a rusty can of deodorant, I touched it and the next thing I know I’m here. I want to know what the hell is going on and I want to know now, Kit!”

Kit twisted her head round and looked helplessly at Dawn. “Um…well…”

Draco coughed delicately and edged away. “I’ll go and look for that bottle of scotch, shall I?” He offered Liz a bow and backed away. “Madam.”

Connor, looking like he would like nothing better than to follow his friend, sighed and stepped forward. “Hi, I don’t think we’ve met, I’m Connor Angel, a friend of Kit’s.” He smiled at the wild-eyed woman soothingly. “I realise that this must all seem very confusing but it’s really very simple. You see, my dad is the head of a line of…”

“DAWN!” Kit’s panicked screech silenced the hall and had all heads turning in their direction. “Do something!”

Dawn took Connor’s arm in a firm grip and squeezed tightly. “Con, you’re not helping anymore, remember?” Connor opened his mouth and Dawn glared menacingly. “Remember?”

Harry grinned at Connor’s outraged look and winked at Hermione. “Come on, mate, there’s a few people I want to introduce you to.” He took Connor’s other arm and managed to tug him away from Kit and Dawn. “Dawn, we’ll be over with Remus when you’ve finished.” Hermione smiled warily at Kit’s mother as Harry and Connor walked away and shot Kit a sympathetic look.

Dawn watched her boyfriend leave and then turned back to Liz with a hesitant smile. “Hi, Ms Horvath, it’s good to see you.” She swallowed nervously. “Er…let’s find somewhere to sit down.” Her heart sank as the older woman’s eyes narrowed at her and she muttered weakly. “Or we could just talk here.” Dawn exchanged a resigned look with Kit and took a deep breath. “You may have noticed that Sunnydale can be a bit…odd. Well…”

* * *

When Buffy and the others strode through the doors minutes later the room fell silent as most people drank in their first sight of an active Slayer. The awed hush lasted precisely three seconds before Kit’s mother shoved Dawn and Kit aside and stormed forwards. “You!”

Buffy’s head snapped round and she muttered. “Uh-oh.” Without taking her eyes from the furious woman stalking towards her she gave Spike a gentle push from her side. “Honey, you and Angel take Dru and make yourselves scarce, ok? Cordelia, Willow…”

“We’ve got your back, Buff.” Willow smiled reassuringly at Spike and then moved to take his place at her friend’s right hand as he moved off with Angel, Dru held firmly between them.

“How could you involve my daughter in this madness?” Liz’s eyes were flashing with outraged fury as she stopped before Buffy, Kit and Dawn hot on her heels. “How dare you endanger her like this?”

To Kit’s everlasting horror, her mild-mannered accountant mother hauled off and slapped possibly the most powerful Slayer the world had ever seen right across the chops. “MOM!” She threw herself forward and grabbed her mother’s arm as she raised her hand again. “Stop it!”

Buffy raised an eyebrow and said calmly. “You owed me that. The next one doesn’t come for free.” She shook her hair from her face and waved Willow and Cordelia back as they started forwards. “I’m sorry you had to find out like this.”

Liz shook Kit off her arm and stared at the little blonde watching her calmly. “What? That my daughter has been playing at soldiers with a bunch of freaks and misfits?” She took a shuddering breath. “You hold a responsible position at her school and you…you…”

“I put her in danger every time I see her outside of school hours and don’t discourage her from doing what she does?” Buffy nodded. “That’s right. I need every willing body I can get on the Hellmouth and Kit’s a lot more than willing.”

Liz blinked in disbelief at Buffy and then at Cordelia and Willow standing at either shoulder with Giles, Wesley, Fred and Gunn in a line behind them. “She’s seventeen!”

“And I was fifteen when I killed my first vampire.” Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and reminded herself how she’d felt when Dawn had first insisted she was joining the good fight, her tone softened. “Sixteen the first time I died. Kit knows what she’s risking and it’s her decision.”

“No.” Liz waved a trembling finger at Buffy. “It’s not. I am her mother and I absolutely forbid her to associate further with you people. I’m taking her back to America and the minute our flight lands I’m going straight to the police and reporting the lot of you for anything I can think of. I’m also going to see to it that your sister is removed from your care and the authorities notified that you are obviously delusional and in desperate need of mental care. Demons and…and… vampires do not exist and to fill the head of…of…of…”

Buffy watched as the woman’s eyes widened and her voice tailed off as she stared over Buffy’s shoulder. The Slayer turned and was somehow unsurprised to see a definite glow emanating from Cordelia. The Seer winked at Buffy and then grinned at the speechless accountant. “Not bad for someone who doesn’t exist, huh?”

Kit plucked at her mother’s limp arm. “Mom, just calm down and we can explain.” She peered worriedly into her mother’s stunned face as the hall hummed with amazement behind her at Cordelia’s human light bulb trick. “I think you broke her, Buffy.”

“Alright, luv?” Spike sauntered over with his thumbs hooked in his jean pockets and a wide grin on his face and eyed Kit’s speechless mother in amusement. “Dru and Peaches are ‘avin’ a natter with Dumbledore. She take it well then?” He picked up Liz’s slack hand and shook it heartily. “’Ello, pet, name’s Spike. I’m Kit’s…”

“Maybe we should get Ms Horvath a seat and give her a minute to calm down.” Dawn leapt forward hurriedly as she shoved Spike none-to-gently out of the way. “Somewhere over there.” Dawn waved a hand vaguely behind her and clarified firmly. “Away from here.”

“Perhaps I can help?” Molly Weasley smiled at the taller American woman still staring with horrified eyes at Cordelia and brushed Dawn’s hand from Liz’s arm. “Why don’t you come along with me, dear, and we’ll have a nice cup of tea?” She shot the Slayer and her companions vaguely disapproving looks. “I believe Professor Dumbledore is waiting for you so he can begin, Miss Summers. I’ll take care of Mrs Horvath.”

The group watched Molly’s plump figure move off, towing Liz behind her like a tug pulling a sleek yacht, and then exchanged miserable looks. Willow slung an arm around Kit’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, she’ll get over it.” At Kit’s disbelieving stare Willow shrugged. “Hey, when my mom found out I was a Wicca she tried to burn me at the stake. Trust me, it could be worse.”

Buffy linked her arm through Kit’s and squeezed. “And my mom threw my ass out when she found out I was the Slayer.” She grinned mischievously at her mate. “Of course, she had just met Spike for the first time.”

Spike glowered and offered an arm each to Hermione and Dawn as they turned to follow the three girls. “Your mum loved me.” His chest puffed out proudly. “Used to make me all the ‘ot chocolate I could drink and get in those little marshmallows just for me.”

Kit trudged morosely between Willow and Buffy, casting a wary look at her mother who was now seated with Molly Weasley on the other side of the room and listening with an expression of deep horror on her face as the older woman talked to her in a low voice. “When this is over I’ll be wishing she’d burnt me at the stake.” She bit her lip. “Running off to England is way worse than beating up the cheerleading squad.”

Buffy patted her arm comfortingly. “I know, sweetie, but once we explain to your mom that they were demons I’m sure she’ll understand.” She shot an uncertain look of her own at Liz. “And the thing with the pillar of flame and the substitute teacher was totally not your fault.”

Dawn grinned at Hermione as the other girl listened to Buffy with a mix of curiosity and uneasiness, quipping. “Sunnydale High. Come for the learnin’, stay for the burnin’!”

Hermione raised an eyebrow. “Sounds charming.” 

  
  


* * *

Professor Dumbledore looked out at the sea of faces staring expectantly at him and stifled the urge to sigh. The people had been gathering in this room since early that morning and had been watching him in anticipation ever since. As only a select few knew of the real identities of Durus Cateanus, and that they were slated to save the wizarding world, he knew the children’s importance and their release from Ministry custody had been the stuff of much speculation and even more so the resignation of Minister Fudge and the elevation of himself and Severus Snape to commanders-in-chief of their war on Voldemort.

Dumbledore clapped his hands together and cleared his throat. “If you will be seated?” The room hushed as people found their seats and he was pleased to note that the members of the Eight detached themselves from their various family members and drifted together without conscious thought as they settled themselves down to listen to him. Dumbledore smiled around the room and nodded to Professor Snape at the back, watching over the proceedings like a large, and especially grumpy, bat. “Severus, the door if you please?” He waited until the potions master muttered a charm and the door was sealed until speaking again. “Well, it’s been a busy few days. I must start off by formally welcoming our visitors from America and thanking them for their continued patience as we spend time in necessary re-organisation.” The old man’s eyes drifted to where Liz Horvath sat in glazed shock with Molly Weasley and he continued apologetically. “I realise that some of you have had quite a surprising time of it and I apologise. Now.” The Headmaster clasped his hands behind his back and stared at the packed hall. “We must make our plans, there is a lot to do. Will the members of the Order of the Phoenix please stand?”

Harry and the others watched in great interest as some fifty people ranging from the very young, like Fred and George Weasley, to the positively ancient, like Mad-Eye Moody, stood and revealed themselves to the room. Dumbledore nodded warmly at them. “I’m afraid I don’t have the luxury of time to thank you for your hard and selfless work over the last few years as you so richly deserve, events are in motion even now that need you and your skills to prevent the loss of innocent lives. Those of your members that are not teachers at this school or on active duty with the Aurors at the Ministry will be leaving the school today for our headquarters in London as you accompany the Slayer and her people on a mission to rescue the children stolen in the recent attack on Hogsmeade.” Dumbledore inclined his head towards Willow with a grateful smile. “Miss Rosenberg and her esteemed friends have worked through the night to find a way to locate the children and just a few hours ago were able to pinpoint their location to within half a mile and determine that they were alive. Angel and the Slayer have presented me with a strong battle plan and they will assign positions and responsibilities to all of you when you reach London.” The twinkle faded from the old man’s eyes as he looked around the silent room. “I don’t think I need tell you that their assistance in this matter is beyond value and that you listen to them as you would to me?” Nods of assent came from all around the room and Dumbledore smiled. “Thank you. Please be seated.”

Dawn nudged Hermione with her foot and winked. “Told you Buff would be all over it.” She swapped grins with her sister across the room and snuggled back into Connor’s embrace. “I smell a major ass kicking in London tonight!”

Dumbledore waited until the rustle of robes and whispers had died away while the Order of the Phoenix reseated themselves and then continued. “All active Aurors are to return to the Ministry tonight, unless told they are to remain here at Hogwarts, and it has been decided that they are now to be under the control and direction of Alastor Moody and Arthur Weasley as of noon today.”

Ron punched his hand in the air. “Yes! Way to go, Dad!” He punched Ginny’s arm, ignoring her annoyed scowl. “Nice one!”

Dumbledore smiled at the delighted boy. “Thank you, Ron.” He lifted an eyebrow as Ron blushed and shrugged apologetically at him. “I’m sure we all share your delight. Arthur has been working tirelessly behind the scenes at the Ministry to collect and collate information and it is thanks to him that we were able to prevent a good deal of terrible mistakes over the last few months.” He beamed at the uncomfortable looking Arthur as he squirmed in his chair and ran his fingers through his thinning hair. “On behalf of us all Arthur, thank you. Molly?” Molly Weasley looked up from where she was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief at long overdue public recognition of her husband’s efforts. “I would like you to remain here at the school. We have need of extra help in overseeing the castle and students in light of the increase of people on the grounds and I would value any assistance that you might offer.” A mischievous smile flitted over the old man’s face. “I have also been remiss in appointing a head of house to Durus Cateanus and I think we would all agree that such an appointment is long overdue. If you would be so good as to take up the responsibility?”

Ginny and the others stared at each other and then turned to stare at Molly. She finished patting her eyes dry and looked back at them sternly. “It would be my pleasure, Headmaster.”

Ron swallowed. “Uh-oh.”

Draco glared accusingly at Connor. “Anything we like, eh? Git.”

Dumbledore, resolutely ignoring the betrayed stares from the Eight, opened his mouth again. “The teachers and myself will remain at Hogwarts to care, as we have always done, for the students entrusted to us. We will be available to all of you and will be heavily involved in any and all decisions the Ministry makes in the coming fight but our duties to the children and the continued running of the school do not permit us to follow you to London. I cannot stress enough how important it is that we remain here and continue to educate our students in our way of life and the responsibility of being magically talented in the world today. Now, more than ever, we need to show our children that the choices they make and the need for goodness in each and every one of them can make a difference to the world around them. We will have Aurors on the school grounds for added security but they will remain outside and we will continue to provide an atmosphere of learning and solidarity within the school itself, as we have always done. We have new allies…” Dumbledore nodded at Buffy and the others. “And now have the opportunity to move openly against Voldemort and his followers. We will prevail and we will give our children a safe society in which to grow. I wish you all luck. Thank you.”

* * *

Dawn, Connor, Kit and Draco stood at the base of the Hogwarts steps and watched as their families moved between piles of weapons and odd-shaped bundles, checking that they had everything they needed for their journey to London. The sun had set just twenty minutes before and the air was losing the last vestige of warmth from the winter sun and turning bitter as the stars came out.

Draco drew his cloak more tightly around himself and shuddered. “And we couldn’t do this inside because?” He stamped his feet. “Things are going to start dropping off soon.”

Dawn giggled. “You mean they haven’t already? I thought Ginny kneed you pretty hard this morning.”

Draco glared at the laughing brunette. “A lady wouldn’t keep bringing that up. Or enjoying it so much.”

Dawn smirked. “I thought we settled that this morning? Babe, I’m no lady.”

Kit shuffled from foot to foot beside Dawn and shivered inside her new Hogwarts robe. She was due to have dinner with her mother shortly and was anxious to prolong the wait as long as she could. Her mother’s unexpected appearance and less than calm reaction to Kit’s double life had turned an already bad day disastrous, but the woman was no nearer understanding the Sunnydale underbelly or the sudden need for her re-location to England and unless Kit managed to convince her of the importance of Buffy and the others Liz was looking at spending the rest of the war in a charmed sleep and then having her memory adjusted.

“Ok, I think we’re ready.” Buffy walked forward, rubbing her gloved hands together. “You guys gonna be ok?”

Dawn hugged her sister. “Of course. Just classes and a little light dimensional detective work for us from now on.” She pulled back and the grin slipped from her face as she said quietly. “We will find him, Buff.”

Buffy cupped her sister’s chilled cheek and smiled with suddenly watery eyes. “I know, Dawnie. I trust you.”

Spike slung an arm around Buffy’s shoulders and grinned at Dawn. “’Ave a look at the dimensions with chocolate on tap and free French fries first. You know the bleedin’ whelp, always thinkin’ with ‘is stomach.”

Dawn grinned and hugged Spike, knowing his blasé attitude covered a deep loneliness now that his partner in Giles baiting had vanished. “Check. All junk food dimensions a top priority. He’ll be back before you know it.” She turned into Willow’s arms. “I’ll watch Anya for you, I promise.”

Willow quietly sniffed back tears. “I know, Dawnie.” She turned her head to stare earnestly into the younger girl’s eyes. “I’ve never asked you to promise me anything before but I’ve got to ask you this.” She gripped Dawn’s hands tightly between her own chilled ones. “If he’s alive, don’t stop until you find him and bring him back. Don’t give up on him.”

Dawn lifted her chin. “I swear to you Willow, if Xander is out there then we’ll find him. He’ll be back to watch his baby get born.”

Willow’s eyes shimmered with grateful tears. “Thank you.” Connor smiled at Angel as the vampire walked up. “Hey, Dad.”

Angel grinned at his son and then at Draco. “You two watch out for each other. I’ll be in touch soon.” He punched Connor’s shoulder lightly and then did the same to Draco. “Remember the first rule.”

Draco frowned. “The first rule?”

Connor rolled his eyes. “Don’t die. They’re really big on that one.”

“Oh.” Draco nodded and wished for the thousandth time that his life would get back to normal. “That seems fairly simple, I can do that.”

“Yeah, that’s what they all say.” Cordelia joined them and hugged both boys tightly. “Just try and keep the heroics to a minimum. We’ll try and get back for Thanksgiving. Remember to write your Uncle Lorne.”

“Ok.” Connor wrapped his mother in his arms and breathed in her familiar scent. “Stay safe.”

“Always, sweetie.” Cordelia pushed Connor’s bangs out of his eyes. “Get a haircut. Draco, I’ll see you soon, honey.” She rose on tiptoes to kiss his cold cheek and patted his shoulder softly. “Try not to brood.”

Giles hugged Kit and Dawn and shook Connor and Draco’s hands. “Now remember, if for any reason you can’t get hold of us in an emergency then Faith and Robin are holding the fort in Sunnydale. They are fully briefed on the situation and will be in constant contact with Lorne in LA. If at any time you need help and there is nowhere else to turn then open a portal and go to them immediately, we’ll find you there.”

Dawn nodded. “Gotcha.” She smiled up at the older man. “Don’t worry, Giles, we’ll be ok now.”

Giles lifted an eyebrow. “I always find it disconcerting when Buffy assures me of that very sentiment and I’m alarmed to find that I don’t believe you anymore than I believe her.” He sighed at Dawn’s guileless smile. “Just try not to get caught.”

Dawn grinned over his shoulder at Spike. “Don’t worry, I learned from the best.”

“Bloody right you did.” Spike gathered Kit and Dawn to him and squeezed. “Stay outta trouble and away from those bleedin’ boys.”

Dawn and Kit twisted their heads until they were awkwardly facing each other behind Spike’s head and rolled their eyes. “Yes, Spike.”

Dawn stepped back from Spike’s hard embrace and smiled into Drusilla’s eyes. “Will you be ok, Dru?” She brushed a thick lock of hair back from the vampire’s face. “I never thought I’d say this but I’ll miss you.”

Dru shook her hands free of the fur-lined muff that Professor Dumbledore had given her that afternoon with a smile. “I will miss you too, little one.” She pressed a gentle kiss to Dawn’s forehead and stroked her face. “But I believe I shall like London very well. I shall go home and play with all my friends and we shall have lovely parties under the moon and eat fairy cakes.”

Dawn grinned. “Ok. But remember to check in with Angel and the others if you hear anything about any evil wizards, ok?”

Drusilla nodded delightedly. “Daddy says I must be a good girl and then I shall be allowed to play with my brothers and dance at their weddings.” She spun in a circle and her heavy velvet cloak flared out. “I shall be the prettiest girl there and my dance card will be full of handsome suitors.”

Dawn caught the reluctantly indulgent smile that passed between Spike and Angel and grinned at the spinning Drusilla. “You got it, Dru.” She flung her arms around Dru’s slender neck and hugged her tightly. “I don’t know how to thank you. I’ll never forget what you did for Connor and me.”

In a moment of rare lucidity, Drusilla smiled. “I would do all that and much more for you, my love.” She eased Dawn back and took her place next to Spike. “Until next time.”

There was a flurry of hugs and goodbyes as the California group made ready and then they stood in two loose circles around Fred and George Weasley. Dawn lifted a hand. “Good luck, don’t get dead.”

Draco glanced at her in surprise at her casual goodbye and then noted the tears that she was battling back. He looked back at his own new family and found himself nodding at Wesley as the quiet Englishman smiled warmly at him. “Good luck.”

“Right, reach for the rubber chickens.” Fred Weasley grinned foolishly at Buffy and added. “And hang on to your knickers.”

Spike gave a warning snarl. “You leave ‘er knickers to me, pup.”

Giles winced. “Spike, really.” He looked imploringly at Buffy. “Does he have to come? Wouldn’t he be better off staying here?”

“Giles.” Buffy glared warningly at the man who was like a father to her. “Don’t be mean to Spike.” Her lips twitched as Spike poked his tongue tauntingly at Giles and she added mischievously. “Especially since he can hurt you with his chip not working and all.”

Willow’s mouth fell open. “Buffy, you said you wouldn’t say anything!” Her eyes narrowed accusingly. “You promised!”

Spike looked between the two girls uncomprehendingly. “What? What do you mean my chip don’t work?” He scowled. “And why didn’t you tell me?”

Buffy squeezed his hand placating. “We only realised this morning. Will needed some extra power for a test she was running and went looking for a plug socket. Turns out electrical stuff doesn’t work here.” She smiled apologetically at her mate. “I didn’t want to get your hopes up and have you think it was gone for good.”

Spike eyed her thoughtfully and then turned to Giles with an evil grin. Before the Watcher could evade him Spike’s hand shot out and gave Giles’ nose a firm twist. “OW!” Giles batted angrily at Spike’s arm. “Ged ob my nodes!”

Spike tightened his grip and danced merrily up and down. “YES! The Big Bad is back!” Unaware that he resembled a sugared up pre-schooler more than a Master Vampire, Spike threw back his head and chortled. “Yeah, baby, I’m back and I’m a bloody animal!”

Shaking with helpless giggles, Willow and Buffy pulled Spike away from Giles and then broke up a girly slap fight between the two as Giles retaliated with an extremely immature flick to Spike’s ears. Spike was still puffed up with delight as he reached out to touch the port key and turned to look at his two girls. “You two remember what I said about those bleedin’ boys, any funny business and I’ll ram a couple of stakes so far up their tight little arses they’ll be able to use ‘em as toothpicks!” He bounced with bloodthirsty joy. “And I can bleedin’ do it too!”

Dawn giggled as the last sight she had of her family was Buffy chastising Spike and Giles exchanging a weary look with Willow before they port keyed away. Connor raised a hand in farewell as Angel and the others disappeared moments before their luggage and then turned to his friends. “What now?”

Dawn linked arms with Kit and squeezed. “Now we have to convince Kit’s mom we’re not all raving loonies and that we shouldn’t be checked into the nearest mental hospital and then we need to find Xander.”

Connor grinned at Dawn and then at Draco. “Is that all? Gee, honey, it’ll be a snap.”

Dawn sniffed and tossed her hair haughtily. “Sarcasm is nobody’s friend, Connor.” She stalked off up the stone steps with Kit at her side.

Draco shivered and thought longingly of a bottle of fire whisky and a roaring fire. “Neither is pointless heroism and stupidity but I don’t see us knocking those back.” He wriggled his frozen toes. “Let’s forget about the broomsticks for tonight and just go and think about our ruined lives and ambitions.”

Connor leapt lightly up the steps in Dawn’s wake. “Ok, pal, that sounds like fun.” He grinned back over his shoulder. “Maybe we’ll get really lucky and Ginny will be in the mood to kick your ass again.”

Draco stomped after him. “Brilliant. Humiliation and abject misery, what more could I ask for?” He marched into the Entrance Hall with a scowl. “Having a conscience is highly overrated.”

* * *

Draco was still in a deep funk hours later after the rest of his house had retired for the night. Despite the healing charms he had cast on his body it still ached, although he privately allowed that it was injured pride that caused his discomfort rather than actual cuts and bruises. He sat slumped in a chair close to the dying common room fire; staring into the weak flames as he huddled in his cloak, and mentally replayed the events in the courtroom that had led to his spectacular fall from grace. Even though he had witnessed with his own eyes his father denounce him, there was still a part of him that refused to accept that Lucius had cut him out of his life so comprehensively. Ok, so they weren’t the closest parent and child in the world and, sure, they had their problems, but to cut him off from all that was familiar and known and throw him on the dubious mercy of Fudge’s kangaroo court? Draco sighed; that was cold even for his father and the man practically needed de-frosting from his clothes every night when he undressed.

A noise from the stairwell had Draco frowning and reaching for his wand as he turned to see Ginny slipping down the stone steps in a rather fetching nightshirt with a pink bunny on it. Ginny froze on the bottom step as Draco stood and whirled to point his wand at her, and even in the uncertain light of the fire Draco could see the colour drain from her face. He hastily pointed his wand at the ceiling and held out a large hand in reassurance. “It’s alright, you startled me.” Keeping his eyes on her face he held out his wand by his fingertips and tried to look as unthreatening as he possibly could. “Here, take it, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Ginny stared between the wand and Draco’s face and raised an eyebrow. “I must have hit you harder than I thought earlier; you do remember me leaving you on the floor clutching your balls and squealing like a stuck pig, right?” She stepped down onto the cold stone floor and stuck her nose in the air as she flounced across the room to her desk by the window. “I just came downstairs for a book, I can’t sleep.”

Draco, feeling slightly foolish holding his wand out and trying to keep the look of benign goodness on his face that Perfect Potter seemed to have mastered in the cradle, put his wand away and stuck his hands in his trouser pockets self-consciously. “Me neither.”

Ginny turned from her desk clutching a lurid coloured paper back muggle book. “Oh dear. What a shame. Good night.” She marched back across the room with the dignity of a queen and not someone wearing a thin cotton night garment with a buck-toothed cartoon rabbit on the front gnawing a carrot. “Don’t fall asleep and set fire to yourself or anything.”

“Merlin, you are a bitch.” Draco shook his head in reluctant admiration. “How long are you going to keep this up?”

Ginny whirled in open-mouthed outrage at the foot of the stairs. “Excuse me, I’m a bitch?” Her face twisted with hatred. “At least I’m not a raping, lying bastard.”

Draco glared back. “Neither am I. And I apologised for that!” He forced himself to take a steadying breath and bit out. “I was wrong and I treated you appallingly. I’m sorry.”

“Oh well, that’s alright then.” Ginny hitched up the neck of the oversized nightshirt that had slipped over one creamy shoulder. “We should just forget all about the intimidation and near sexual assault and be best friends. Not!”

Draco threw up his hands in despair. “What do you want from me? Tell me what to do to make it up to you and I’ll do it.”

Ginny’s lip quirked unintentionally. “Well the bleeding and screaming like a girl in the training room helped a bit I suppose.”

They stared at each other in strained silence for a long moment before Draco gave a reluctant chuckle. “Yes, I would imagine it did.”

Ginny blinked and then the tension drained from her body as she muttered quietly. “Actually it helped a lot.” Her shoulders began to shake. “You looked so funny…”

Draco grinned as she fought back tears of mirth. “Glad I could help.” He took a deep breath. “Ginny, for what it’s worth, I really am sorry I hurt you. I went too far and if I could take it back I would.”

The laughter drained from Ginny’s face and she looked soberly at him before saying slowly. “It wasn’t what you did really, I could have coped with that, it was that it was you doing it. I think that’s why I didn’t fight back harder; I didn’t believe you would really do that to me.” She shook her head and her freshly washed hair danced around her face. “I thought after everything that happened last term that we were, well, not friends exactly but that you didn’t hate me as much as the rest of the school.” Her eyes shimmered with remembered hurt. “I stuck up for you when Harry and my brother used to go on about how nasty you were and then you betrayed me.” Her eyes lowered to the floor as she finished in a low voice. “I thought you were better than that.”

Draco’s insides twisted with shame at the disappointment in her voice and he whispered. “I am.” He took a step forward and held out a beseeching hand. “I really am, Ginny. Let me prove it to you, I would very much like to be your friend.”

Ginny raised her head and looked in his eyes. “I don’t know whether I can trust you…”

“You can’t, not yet.” Draco stayed rooted to the spot, painfully aware that he was making the most important speech of his lifetime. “But maybe, if you give me a second chance, you’ll see that I can earn your trust. We can start from scratch, a fresh start.”

Ginny bit her lip. “I don’t know, it’s not that easy…”

“It is, I swear it.” Draco’s eyes pleaded with her as he held up his hand again. “I’m Draco Ma…” He paused for a moment and continued firmly. “Angel. I’m Draco Angel and I’m pleased to meet you.” He held his breath as he watched the emotions play over her expressive face and could feel his heart thump against his ribs as she looked uncertainly between his hand and his earnest silver eyes.

Ginny frowned at the tall boy offering her his hand uncertainly and reminded herself of the cold way he had threatened her in his old common room and the sheer terror she had experienced as he had held her beneath him and bent towards her with his body hard with lust. She shivered as she remembered the sheer helplessness of being pressed between the unforgiving floor and his hurtful hands and then the image of him racing to her rescue when the vampires attacked and standing at her side as they faced down Voldemort forced the painful memories away. Her hand rose slowly as more pictures of Draco fighting at the side of her brother and her friends and sharing their time in court appeared in her mind and she heard herself say from a great distance. “Ginny Weasley, it’s nice to meet you too.”

They clasped hands and watched each other for a long moment before Ginny took a step back and tugged her hand from Draco’s loose grasp. She smiled uncertainly. “Goodnight, Draco.”

Draco nodded. “Goodnight, Ginny.” He watched as she turned and raced away up the stairs, pale legs flashing in the muted light of the fire and then a slow smile spread across his face as he realised he was still in with a chance after all.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Four

The news that Draco Angel nee Malfoy had abandoned his house and been disowned by his ancient family to join forces with his two most hated enemies rocked the Hogwarts students even more than Harry’s own abdication from Gryffindor crown prince at the beginning of the term. Everywhere Draco went, whispers and comments followed him as people stared in amazement at the ex-Malfoy heir. Perhaps even more irritating to Draco, were the giggles and stares that all the females in the castle between the ages of twelve and twenty-one seemed to adopt the moment he strode into view. With one redheaded exception, of course.

“Bugger off!” Draco pointed his wand and a shower of sparks hit a bush by the side of the Quidditch pitch, sending three hiding Ravenclaws running for the safety of the castle. He watched them go and then turned back to Connor who was bent over a hovering broomstick. “I wish I bloody knew what on earth has got into the bloody females around here. Everywhere I turn there’s a giggling woman.”

Connor wiped a hand over his brow and squatted down on his heels as he looked up at his friend with a knowing nod. “Bad boy seeking redemption.” He grabbed the jug of pumpkin juice beside him and took a healthy swig. “The chicks go nuts for it.” He tilted his face towards the weak November sun and suppressed a grin, as Draco turned pink with outrage.

“I am not seeking bloody redemption.” Draco looked revolted by the very thought and snatched the jug from Connor to wash a sudden bitter taste from his mouth. “I’m merely cutting my loses and re-evaluating my options.”

“Uh-huh.” Connor’s grin widened. “You keep right on thinking that, pal. Anyway, the whole bad boy thing isn’t so bad; it got me Dawn didn’t it?”

Draco snorted and rolled up his sleeve. “Oh yes, you’re a rebel alright. Champion of humanity, defender of the weak and pathetic…I’m still reeling from the fact you’re allowed to breathe the same air as the rest of us.”

Connor nodded seriously. “Me too.” He tried to keep the look of tortured anti-hero on his face, as perfected by Angel, but his face cracked into a wide grin once more. “Sorry. Anyway, I don’t know what you’re complaining about, practically every woman in the castle has decided you’re the best thing to happen here in years.”

Draco kicked spitefully at the thin winter grass under his foot. “Except the one I actually want, you’ll notice.” He turned his head and stared up at the Durus Cateanus windows. “She’s still pretending I don’t exist.”

Connor shrugged and wisely hid his smile by bending his head to the broomstick once more. “She’s coming around. At least she’s not scared of you anymore.”

Draco scowled and rubbed his ribs, still tender thanks to Ginny’s delicate foot nearly snapping them at their introductory training session. And he wasn’t even going to mention the deep ache in his crotch despite a night’s sleep, two pain relief spells and half an hour with an anti-inflammatory poultice. “I think I preferred it when she was. She’s a bloody hellcat.”

Connor looked up with a leer. “And again I’ll draw your attention to Dawn. I’m all for hellcats, buddy.” He stood up and looked down at his handwork thoughtfully. “There’s nothing like a vicious, bloodthirsty woman curling up next to you and purring like a kitten. Are we ready to test this now?” They had slipped out onto the school grounds in their lunch break to modify a broomstick for Connor to use, and then had found themselves adding certain extras that Connor had adapted from the surfers he had watched in LA.

Draco glanced absently at the broomstick that Connor had modified with a small platform and feet clasps. “What? Oh, yes, we can test it. Dawn purrs? We are talking about the same girl, right? Tall, thin, really, really short temper and way too casual about blood shed?” He poked the odd looking broom gingerly with his foot. 

Connor wiped his hands on a rag and nodded. “Yup, that’s my girl.” He leered again. “I can make her melt right into a sticky little puddle with one…”

“Make who melt into a sticky little puddle?” Dawn’s casual question had both boys jumping a foot in the air and Connor going pale with fear. The slender brunette walked forward and eyed the two guilty faces. “Are we killing something?” Dawn made a show of looking around suspiciously; paying special attention to the nearby bushes that she had just emerged from. “What are we melting; do I need to get a cauldron?”

“D…Dawn, you’re here!” Connor’s eyes were wide with horror. “You’re here.” Dawn frowned. “Yeah, I’m here, what’s the problem?”

Draco suddenly became very interested in the broomstick as Connor floundered to come up with an answer that wouldn’t have Dawn stamping him into messy paste on the floor. “Um…no problem.” Connor’s face creased in a sickly grin. “We were just talking about the best way to…um…er…”

Dawn’s face radiated polite interest. “Yes?”

“The best way to…do, um…” Connor turned to Draco with the air of someone determined to take his friend down in flames with him. “Draco?”

Draco flinched. “Yes?” He studiously avoided Connor’s panicked eyes. “The best way to do what?” He suddenly discovered a stray thread hanging from his shirtsleeve. “Don’t mind me, carry on.”

Dawn folded her arms and watched her soul mate squirm uncomfortably before her. “I’m waiting, Connor.” She fought to keep a straight face as Connor closed his eyes and his lips moved in a silent prayer. “What exactly are you planning on melting?”

“The wax!” Connor’s eyes popped open and he looked profoundly relieved. “The wax for the binding. Of the twigs. On the broom. To hold them steady.” Shoving the startled Draco aside Connor snatched up his broom and waved it in Dawn’s face. “See?”

Dawn eyed the customised broom and then her boyfriend’s guilty face. “Uh-huh.” She patted his arm gently. “Ok, sweetie. Gonna test it out?” She bit her lip to keep a smirk off her face as Connor backed away nodding furiously.

“Yep, just about to do that.” He nodded at Draco. “Go for it.”

Draco, not nearly as gullible as Connor, edged away from Dawn and waved his wand at the broom. “Wingardium Leviosa!” He answered Dawn’s enquiring look casually. “That’s just to get it off the ground. In the air the in-built charm takes over and it’s just like any other wizard flying it. If this works out then Connor will be contacting Angel to see if we can get a more up-to-date model than a school broom to adapt to his needs and then we can work out a charm to enable him to use it without a magic user present to cast an ignition charm.”

Dawn nodded. “Right.” She watched with interest as Connor climbed onto the small platform he had crafted onto the handle of the broom and fitted his feet into the two clasps there. “What’s with the mini surfboard?”

Draco eyed the new upgrade warily. “If you mean the platform, he says he wants to keep his hands free. Something about airborne decapitation.”

Dawn rolled her eyes. “That’s my man. Always thinking with his chopper.” There was a short silence as Connor paused in his pre-flight preparations and joined Draco and Dawn in considering her last remark. Dawn flushed. “Let’s just pretend I never said that, shall we?”

Draco coughed. “Gladly. Ready, Connor?”

Connor stopped leering at the scarlet Dawn and nodded. “Ready. I’ll just try a quick circuit of the Quidditch pitch to see how the balance is.” He jerked one foot out of its holder and kicked into the air. “Wish me luuuuck!”

Dawn and Draco watched as Connor hurtled into the sky, arms flailing madly for balance as he tried to get his foot securely fastened down. Dawn shaded her eyes against the winter sun and groaned. “They still have some of that stuff they used to fix your back, right?”

Draco’s eyes narrowed appraisingly as he watched Connor weave erratically through the sky a hundred feet up. “Oh, yes, Madam Pomfrey keeps a constant supply in stock.” His mouth spread wide in a grin as he watched Connor gain control of his broom and execute a perfect 180 degree turn and glide smoothly back in the opposite direction. “But I don’t think we’ll need it. It bloody works!” Draco laughed as Connor zigzagged with perfect control through the air above him. “I don’t bloody believe it, it works!”

“Thank goodness.” Dawn kept her eyes on the sky as she said dryly. “Now if we can only get my ears fixed, we’ll be ok.”

“Pardon?” Draco looked confused. “Is there something wrong with your hearing?”

Dawn shrugged and said thoughtfully. “Well, I didn’t think so, but you and Connor seem to think its shot to hell.” She turned cool green eyes on him. “And apparently my intelligence levels are a bit on the low side as well. Melt me into a sticky puddle, huh?”

“Ah.” The confusion faded from Draco’s face and he cast an uneasy look up at Connor. Was it his imagination or was his friend suddenly a whole lot higher than he had been just moments before? “I see. Connor was just saying…”

Dawn held up a hand. “I know what Connor was just saying, thanks.” A flash of amusement crossed her face as Draco glanced unhappily towards the sky again. “And he SO heard me. Trust me, he’s staying well out of the way, you’re on your own.”

Draco scowled. “Fantastic.” He drew himself up defensively. “Look, I fail to see how I can be blamed for this. If your boyfriend…”

“If Connor’s finally found a male friend that he can share that stuff with then I’m happy for him.” Dawn grinned a trifle smugly at Draco’s startled look. “What, you think I don’t know about guy-talk?” She lowered her voice to gruff growl and mimed scratching at her groin. “Yeah, man, I was, like, fantastic. I went for hours and she said she’d never seen a bigger one. Gimme another beer.”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s not quite how it goes.” He looked the smirking brunette up and down. “You really are the queerest creature.”

“Thank you.” Dawn shivered as a chill breeze whipped her robes around her and tucked her arm through Draco’s to snuggle up against him, ignoring the surprised stiffening of his body. “And I know guy-talk, that was close enough. My point is that I don’t mind Connor talking about these things with you but you might need to show a little guidance on how far he goes with it.” She tilted her face up to Draco’s puzzled one and smiled. “You’re the first person, other than me, that Connor’s ever approached himself and formed a bond with outside of family or circumstances. He may not seem it, but he’s pretty innocent in the ways of the world, he doesn’t really understand about certain limits or social no-no’s.” As Draco raised his eyebrows, Dawn said hurriedly. “He’s not stupid or anything, he just had a pretty crappy childhood and he doesn’t get certain things. You and me are special to him, Connor doesn’t give his heart lightly, and that means we get to see the real him and he’ll share stuff with us that he won’t with anyone else. Do you understand?”

Draco, feeling oddly humbled, nodded. “Yes, I understand.” He let his body relax slightly and tugged his arm free to pull aside the front of his robe and fold it awkwardly around Dawn’s shoulders. “You’re shivering.”

Dawn hid her triumphant smile as she nestled close to his side. “Thanks. Anyway, I’m just saying, you might wanna stop him if he over-shares, we’ve got to have some secrets.” She dug a friendly elbow in his ribs. “Although you might want to pay attention to PG13 stuff, that could really help you out with Ginny.”

Draco’s mouth fell open. “He told you about that?”

“Nah, I guessed.” Dawn winked smugly. “Women’s intuition. Well, women’s intuition, and I spent the best part of my teenage years watching Buffy and Spike try to kill each other before they decided they couldn’t live without each other.”

Draco scowled. “I think you have me confused with my former father, he’s the one that tries to kill Weasleys.”

Dawn tilted her head back and said mischievously. “You just wanna shag ‘em?”

“Yes.” Draco’s firm nod turned into a frantic shaking of his head as he realised what he’d said and he looked appalled. “No, absolutely not!”

Dawn cast a look to the skies where Connor was whooping triumphantly as he wove complicated figures of eight through the air. “Sorry, I meant you just want to shag Ginny.”

Draco narrowed his eyes at the smiling face lifted to his. “Are you sure you’re not a demon of some kind?” He huffed a breath of impatient air and watched it drift lazily away across the Quidditch pitch in the frigid air. “Look, I’m not sure what I want to do with her, ok? Just…don’t say anything. And don’t say shag, it sounds stupid with that accent.”

Dawn scowled. “Hey, I’ll have you know I’ve had the finest education in English slang and swear words hot chocolate and marshmallows can buy.”

Draco grinned in amusement. “Spike again?” Dawn nodded and Draco squeezed her shoulders consolingly. “He’s your father, he has to humour you, I’m your friend and I don’t. Trust me, yanks can’t say ‘shag’.”

Dawn opened her mouth to reply and then paused before saying with a grin. “We’re friends?”

Draco blinked. “Er, well…” He avoided her delighted eyes and stared up at Connor, now yelling with delight as he looped-de-loop upside down through the sky. “Um…”

Dawn poked her finger in his ribs playfully. “You said we were friends, you can’t take it back.” The finger stopped poking and began to tickle along his side. “Admit it; the bad-boy wizard likes the mudblood witch.”

“Oi, bloody hell!” Draco twisted away from her insistent finger and tried to recover his bad-boy dignity. “Yes, alright, I like you, ok? Happy now?”

Dawn giggled as she looked at his glowering face and nodded. “Yup, and for the record I like you too.” She stuck out a hand and smiled ingratiatingly. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone you said it.”

Draco’s mouth twitched in involuntary amusement as he took her smaller hand in his. “You’d better sodding not, I have a reputation around here, you know.” They grinned at each other as they shook their clasped hands before both turning their faces to the sky as Connor whizzed overhead shooting bolts from a small crossbow at a frantic woodpigeon. “We’re going to have to shoot him down, aren’t we?”

Dawn nodded wearily at Draco’s dry question. “Oh, yeah.” She watched as Connor abandoned the crossbow and pulled a small dagger from under his robes. “And if he thinks I’m skinning and cooking that he’s got another think coming. I don’t care how good he thinks Basilisk tastes; I don’t put anything in my mouth unless it comes wrapped in cellophane with a clear sell-by date stamped on its ass.” She caught Draco’s expression from the corner of her eye and headed off his undoubtedly disgusting rejoinder just in time. “Don’t go there, Blondie. I like you, but I don’t like you that much.”

Draco adjusted his expression to one of sober innocence. “Understood.”

They stood side by side watching Connor close in on the hapless pigeon until Dawn cut her eyes to Draco. “Can I say snog?”

Draco grinned. “No.”

  
  
  


* * *

Ron shut the door of the common room behind him silently and listened carefully for the sounds of anyone other than Hermione’s quill scratching in her hand as she sat at her desk. Satisfied that they were alone, more importantly that his mother was nowhere to be seen or heard, he smirked and moved quickly across the floor knowing he had only minutes until the start of afternoon classes. Hermione remained unaware of his approach as she hastily copied additional notes for their Defence Against The Dark Arts class onto some scrap parchment from a dusty book and her head was bent industriously over her work. Ron bent down and sniffed at her sweet-smelling brown hair before whispering in her ear. “Guess who?”

Hermione jumped and gave a startled yelp, turning her head to Ron in surprise and then yelping again when his warm lips captured hers in a hungry kiss. Ron slipped his hand around the back of her head to cradle her skull as he eased her lips apart and smiled to himself as Hermione sighed and twisted to link her arms around his neck eagerly. Between one thing and another they had enjoyed no time alone since the night they had returned from America and Ron was surprised at the increasing depth of desperation he felt for just a few moments alone with Hermione. He eased back slightly and pulled Hermione to her feet and into his body, then bent to bring their lips together once more with a gusty sigh. She tasted and felt even better than he remembered and his arms tightened around her body hungrily as he began to savage her willing mouth.

All was quiet for a few minutes as they kissed and murmured to each other and then, reluctantly, Hermione drew back. “Ron, we have to…” She moaned as he scowled and insistently kissed her again. “Ron…”

“Herm, shut up.” Ron’s hands were shaking as they stroked her back and he raised one to plunge it into her hair and hold her evading head still. “Just shut up and kiss me.”

Hermione’s heart thumped against her rib cage as his hands pressed her closer and she gave a tiny shudder as Ron’s mouth moved over her own. The quill fell forgotten from her hand as he worked the same magic on her that he had done in his bed and she completely forgot why she had been pushing him away in the first place. Her eyes closed tightly as she pressed tightly against him and a low, satisfied hum came from her throat as Ron tilted his head to increase the depth of the kiss.

Ron was the one to pull back next, eyeing Hermione’s flushed face with satisfaction as he linked his arms around her back. “Why have you been avoiding me?”

Hermione blinked dazed brown eyes and frowned as she tried to get her bearings. “What?”

Ron squeezed his arms around her and then brushed a lock of hair back from her blank face. “I said, why have you been avoiding me? I thought we started something the other night, but every time I come near you shake me off.” He dipped his head and kissed the side of her mouth lightly. “Don’t you like me anymore?”

Hermione blinked again. “Wh…what? Of course I like you.” She cursed the pink fog that seemed to be clouding her brain and tried to think. “I…we…it’s just I thought we were going to be discreet.”

Despite himself Ron grinned at the prim, and oh so Hermione, choice of words. “Discreet? It’s not like we’re married and having an affair, Herm, we’re just two kids getting together.”

Hermione shifted uneasily until Ron reluctantly let his arms fall and her to step away from him. Hermione stared at the floor for a moment before lifting nervous eyes to his uneasy face. “I don’t know how to behave in front of the others, you see.” She chewed her bottom lip anxiously. “We’ve been friends for so long and now everything’s changed so fast and I don’t want to rush people into accepting yet another new thing when I don’t even know what it is myself yet.”

Ron tilted his head to one side and eyed her thoughtfully. “You’re not ashamed to be seen with me, are you?” Hermione’s outraged gasp and the sudden blush of angry colour to her cheeks had him hurriedly stepping back and holding out his hands defensively. “Ok, that was stupid, forget I said anything.”

“Ron Weasley, how could you even think that? If you don’t know me by now…” Hermione slapped a restraining hand on Ron’s chest as he tried to take her in his arms again. “And don’t think that’s going to work either!”

Ron laughed and his chest hummed with the vibration. “I’m sorry, Herm.” He bent towards her as she leant back with a scowl and managed to brush a kiss along her temple. “I just can’t believe the prettiest girl in school wants to snog me.”

Hermione paused in trying to wriggle away from him and eyed him suspiciously. “I’m not the prettiest girl at school.”

“You are to me.” Ron, sensing an advantage, pressed it home. “No one else has eyes like hot chocolate or hair the colour of warm toffee.” He tugged her gently towards him and nipped at her open mouth. “Or a mouth that tastes like strawberries, or…”

“Do you want to kiss me or eat me?” Hermione, much to her disgust, realised she was a sucker for pretty words as much as the next girl and found her arms linking around Ron’s neck once more without any direct orders from her brain, muttering. “I don’t understand why things are so different between us now.”

Ron stroked a hand through her hair and was amused to find the strands tangled around his fingers with the strength of steel cable. “Speak for yourself; I’ve had the hots for you for years.” He worked his fingers free with some difficulty and touched the infinitely smoother skin of her cheek gently. “But if you aren’t ready to go public then I guess I can handle a clandestine love affair for a while. Just promise me that when we can get some time alone it’ll be like this.”

Hermione blinked up at him. “You don’t mind if we keep it quiet?” She refused to dwell on the revelation that he’d thought of her as more of a friend for years and not months as he’d previously confessed, focusing instead on the warmth of his skin against hers. “Really?”

Ron ignored the small niggle of protest at the back of his mind and grinned down at her. “Really. We’ll play it however you want to, Herm.” His lips brushed hers again. “As long as I know I can do this when we’re alone I can handle anything. Take as much time as you need.”

Hermione’s heart sighed at the earnest statement and she felt the knot of anxiety in her chest ease slightly. “Thank you.” She smiled shyly. “We have to leave for class in a moment; do you want to kiss me again?”

Ron grinned. “What do you think?” He bent his head and they enjoyed a mutually pleasurable few moments before they broke their embrace. Ron released Hermione reluctantly and turned to the desk. “Come on, I’ll give you a hand with your books, we’d better get down there before Snape starts stripping points again.” A movement outside the window caught his eye and he watched in speechless amazement as Connor Angel dangled upside down from a broomstick and gave him a broad grin and the thumbs up sign as he flew by. “Did you just see that?”

Hermione looked up from where she was packing books in her backpack and stared at the empty sky outside the window. “See what?”

Ron shook his head and made a mental note to start getting some more sleep and stop lying awake fantasising about Hermione every night. Obviously perpetual lusty thoughts did the more logical parts of your mind no good at all. “Never mind, let’s go.” With one last uncertain look at the window he placed a hand on the small of Hermione’s back and steered her to the door. “Do you know any good dreamless sleep potions?”

  
  
  


* * *

Kit strolled with Harry down the corridor leading towards Snape’s dungeon and tried to ignore the stares and whispers from the Slytherins and Gryffindors as they stood by the classroom door watching them approach. She clutched the textbook that Professor Dumbledore had handed her that morning with a smile and fervently prayed that she wouldn’t be called on in class to do anything that required anything magical. Harry nudged Kit’s side and smiled at her tense face as he said quietly. “Don’t look so worried, we’ll all be there.”

Kit smiled uncertainly back. “I know, but I still feel like I should be wearing a pointy hat or something, y’know, try and blend in.” She eyed the unimpressed seventh-years uneasily. “They look like they aren’t that keen on sharing their classes with a muggle.”

Harry glared at Seamus and Dean as they muttered between themselves and then sniggered as they looked at Kit. “They can lump it.” He patted her arm shyly. “And you’ve had a lot more experience with the dark arts than they have; you have a perfect right to be here.”

Kit shifted unhappily as an unpleasant looking girl with a Slytherin badge stared at her and curled her lip in a spiteful smirk. “My mom doesn’t seem to think so.” She sighed unhappily. “I think she preferred it when I was just failing and being a bad-ass all the time.”

Harry looked at her doleful face and raised an eyebrow. “Pardon?” He studied the gentle curve of her mouth and soft, black eyes. “You were a what?”

Kit flushed and edged back as the murmuring increased from their audience to hide behind Harry. “I used to get in a lot of trouble before I met Dawn.” She paused and thought about what she’d just said. “Well, more pointless trouble anyway. Definitely less world-save-age trouble and more-casual-ticking-time bomb-teenage trouble.”

Harry turned his back on his former friends and consistently hateful enemies and frowned down at Kit. “Really? You strike me as so…normal.”

Kit grinned. “Thanks, but no. Normal and I only ever had the most casual relationship. Strictly a physical thing only.”

“What changed?” Harry cleared his throat; suddenly aware he might be encroaching on dangerous territory. “I’m sorry, I’m prying.”

Kit shifted her books in her arms and squeezed Harry’s hand casually. “No, we’re friends, that’s not prying, that’s interest.” She tilted her head back and studied the dusty ceiling for a moment before saying carefully. “I went into high school determined to hate everyone and make them hate me. My mom never seemed to be around, my dad was long gone and I hadn’t made a real connection with anyone since kindergarten when my best friend suddenly disappeared and just never came back. I was definitely loner-on-the-edge girl.” She smiled as she remembered the bitter girl she had been. “And then the first day of high school I saw a bunch of ghosts, met Dawn Summers, crashed through a bathroom floor and ended up having to fight for my life when the restless spirits of the people who died at the first high school tried to kill us and Carlos.” Her eyes danced with self-ridicule. “Also hard to carry on the charade of being a bad-ass when a girl you’ve just met thinks nothing of taking on a bunch of crazy dead people with a brick in a borrowed school bag and gets excited about the signal on her cell phone while she does it.”

Harry smiled although he didn’t get some of the references she made. “That sounds like Dawn.”

Kit grinned back. “And then Buffy arrived, kicked ass and led us back up into the school. Dawn stayed with Carlos and me and made sure we were ok, then we just kinda stayed together. The next thing I knew, I’m working with a legendary descendant of warriors destined to save the world from evil and the whole bad-ass thing fell by the wayside as we went up against the First Evil and had to stop the end of the world.” She sighed. “You never forget your first apocalypse. It got to the point that even the dweebs that lived in Sunnydale couldn’t ignore all the freaky stuff anymore and were thinking about leaving and then Buffy managed to find this long-lost weapon of power that was linked to the Slayers. Willow had to go to LA and help Angel and she brought back Faith, the other Slayer, and then Will cast a spell to allow Faith and Buffy access to all the stored power of the Slayers using the axe thingy they’d found.”

Harry, although having already heard Dawn’s version of their battle with the First Evil some months before, was entranced by the low, quiet voice as Kit told him her recent history and frowned when she paused. “Go on, don’t stop now.”

Kit smiled shyly. “I’m not boring you?” Her smile widened at Harry’s firm shake of his head and she shrugged. “Ok, well there’s not that much to tell. There was a bunch of girls living with Buffy at the time who were the potential Slayers and we all got together one night with our school principal and went down to this seal thing in the school basement, opened it, set Faith, Buffy and Spike loose on a big bunch of uber-vamps while we took on what we could and then the First Evil manifested itself and Buffy and Faith cut it’s head off with the Slayer axe thing. Buffy got hold of the crazy preacher that was acting as the First’s familiar and killed him, twice, and then Willow opened up the Hellmouth and we threw the preacher in and used the power in the scythe thingy to seal the Hellmouth up again.” A wry grin crossed her face. “We found out later that there was some necklace that we could have used to shut the Hellmouth once and for all, but an evil law firm in LA had it and it got lost when a big demon they had there blocked out the sun and levelled their offices to the ground.”

Harry blinked. “Blimey.”

Kit shrugged. “Buffy says it’s no big, I think she figures that the Hellmouth keeps things interesting. Besides, apparently there’s another one in Cleveland and if we shut the one in California permanently we’d all have to move there and it gets really cold.”

Harry chose his next words carefully. “And you told your mother all this last night?” Kit heaved a heavy sigh and nodded. “Ah. You can see why she might have some concerns then?”

Kit eyed him narrowly. “Have you been taking lessons from Giles?” She waved a dismissive hand at his confused look and continued. “Never mind. The point is my mom’s been on at me to do something with my life and stop screwing around and then the moment she finds out I have she wigs out and starts threatening to have all my friends arrested.” A petulant scowl creased her brow. “Seriously, I help save the world like, all the time. How much more does she want me to do with my life?”

Harry tilted his head questioningly. “Don’t you want to have a normal life? Not have to worry about killing demons and stuff?”

Kit considered his question carefully and said slowly. “We all talk it all the time, just walking away and quitting. Sometimes my whole body aches just to be able to turn in my axe and leave all the Hellmouthy stuff behind.” She shrugged. “But we never do. I can’t imagine leaving all this behind and just going on to be…normal. The Hellmouth makes my life suck unbelievably at times but it gave me Dawn, Carlos, Buffy and Spike, all the other guys and it also gave me a life.” Kit’s mouth stretched in a grin. “A sucky, crappy life most of the time, but more of one than I had before and I’m not giving it back. I love my mom but I can’t go back and be something I’m not, I’m in this for the long haul. What about you?”

Harry frowned. “What about me?”

Kit tilted her head inquiringly. “Would you walk away? Leave all the crazy world-saving behind and just be normal?”

Harry’s eyes blinked behind his glasses as he realised that no one had ever asked him that before, had never really considered it an option. “I…” He thought of all he had lost in his life, his parents, friends, just one happy childhood memory to call his own and then thought of Ron and Hermione, the Weasleys and now Dawn and Connor. “No…I don’t think I could.” He smiled in amazement. “No, I’m pretty sure I like my life the way it is.”

Kit nodded approvingly. “See? We have it pretty good.” Her head turned as a loud voice announced the arrival of Dawn, Connor and Draco. “Maybe I spoke too soon. Hi guys, problem?”

Dawn scowled at Kit and then scowled at the Slytherins and Gryffindors behind her and Harry. “Depends how you define problem. If you don’t consider someone, who shall hereafter remain flightless, bagging three pigeons for a cookout and then throwing them to you so you get blood and feathers all over your robes and hands and expecting you to skin and gut them a problem, then no.” Dawn glared at Connor. “If, however, you happen to consider that kind of behaviour anti-social and downright barbaric like any normal, rational person then, yes, we most definitely do have a major, planet-sized problem.”

Kit exchanged smiles with Harry and tucked a hand between Dawn’s rigid arm and body. “Oh, what’s a little less-than-normal between friends, huh?”

Harry grinned at the exhilarated looking Connor. “Got the broom working then?”

“Yup.” Connor bounced on his toes and slapped Draco on his back. “With a little help.”

Harry’s grin faded a little as he looked at Draco and then he found his mouth opening of its own accord and his voice emerging. “Great. You want to meet up with Ron and me after school and practice a few shots on the pitch? We could go two-on-two.”

Draco looked at least as startled as Harry at the hesitant offer but managed to nod coolly as his former housemates gaped incredulously in the background. “Certainly, that sounds…entertaining.”

Harry nodded stiffly. “Right then.” He caught sight of Ron and Hermione hurrying down the corridor just ahead of an annoyed looking Snape, and mentally reviewed his friend’s reaction to the news that they would be voluntarily spending time with the former Slytherin in a social capacity. He winced. “Er, let me tell Ron, alright?”

  
  
  


* * *

Things remained quiet for the next few days. The eight members of Durus Cateanus spent most of their time training and attending classes when they weren’t helping with the refugees in the castle and most nights went to bed exhausted, barely able to summon the energy to wish each other goodnight before they passed out against their pillows. Draco continued to maintain an air of armed neutrality with most of his new housemates, with the exception of Connor and Dawn, and remained polite but uneasy around Kit. Much to his surprise, living in close quarters with muggles wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought it would be, and he found himself grudgingly admiring her sheer determination and spirit as she tried to cope with the new world she had found herself landed in.

Although limited in the scope of her own powers, Kit always made sure she was available where needed to help with research or in whatever way she could. Several times she had helped Draco as he had picked up the slack for Professor Snape when the potions master was too busy meet the ever present need for healing potions or sleep draughts and he found the quiet way she measured ingredients and passed him necessary tools very restful as they worked silently side by side in the common room. In his own uncertain way he had become fond of her but being a Malfoy, and therefore strong, silent and generally sarcastic, found it easier to give the odd approving nod rather than to try and actually build a friendship. So when Kit was attacked on her way back from the library one night where she and Hermione were researching a locater spell for Xander and Draco was the only one around to help, his furious reaction was as much as a shock to him as it was to anyone else.

Draco was walking through the silent corridors of the school at nearly one in the morning one Thursday night on his way back from delivering yet more healing potion to Snape’s lab when he heard a muffled cry ahead of him. Scuffles and arguments had been breaking out amongst the refugees with increasing regularity and seeing as he’d been up since six that morning, and not in least interested in competing for Prince Potter’s crown of champion of the underdog, Draco was more than ready for his bed and not at all willing to break up a minor in-house squabble.

More annoyed that the first solitary time he’d had in days had been interrupted than anything, he slipped his wand from his pocket and stalked cautiously forward to poke his head around the corner and check that no one was being murdered, and/or Hogwarts had not been invaded by the enemy, and then froze stock still as he watched Kit float through the air upside down and bounce heavily off a hard stone wall. Beneath her stood three laughing figures, the smallest waving a wand in the air as though they were conducting an orchestra, and obviously enjoying Kit’s cries of pain as she banged off the wall again.

A red mist covered Draco’s vision and he completely forgot he was clutching his wand. His mouth opened on a wordless roar of fury as he surged forward and took the figure with the wand down in a vicious tackle to the hard floor. Kit screamed as she dropped suddenly through the air and then could do nothing but lay in a bruised, winded heap as Draco delivered the punch of a lifetime to the figure beneath him and then pushed up to launch himself at the other robed figures.

Ron, Harry and Connor were just meandering up the main steps to the school after a late patrol and all three caught the faint yells and sounds of battle at the same time. Connor was the first through the doors as he recognised one dim shout as Malfoy’s voice. “It’s Draco!” He paused in the Hall and then pointed towards the dungeons. “That way.” Connor streaked away with Ron and Harry on his heels, feet pounding the floor beneath them, as the sounds of fighting grew ever closer.

Connor snarled as a familiar smell assaulted his nose. “Kit, she’s bleeding.” He put on an extra burst of speed, bellowing loudly. “Kit, I’m coming!”

The three rounded the last corner and skidded to a halt to stare as Draco, still screaming in wordless anger, backhanded Vincent Goyle so hard the other boy fell in a stunned heap to the floor and then snatched up a chair that had been knocked over in the confusion and brought it down with an almighty crash on Crabbe’s head. Connor’s eyes flashed as he caught sight of Kit huddled in the shadows on the other side of Draco and he bypassed Draco raining blows down on his former friend to hurry to the girl’s side. “Kit, you alright?” Connor brushed her hair back from her face, growling in anger as she flinched from his touch and he saw a nasty cut bleeding profusely on her left temple. “It’s just me, Kit. Connor.”

Kit blinked at Connor’s face for a moment and then flung herself into his arms with a muffled sob. “I…I’m sorry, I was sup..supposed to wait f...f…for Hermione, but I…I…”

Connor cuddled her close and drew a gentle hand over her tangled hair. “Ssh. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not your fault. Ssh.” He glanced over his shoulder at Ron and Harry. “As much as I’d like to see those bastards in the ground, you’d better stop Draco before he actually murders them.”

Ron and Harry looked at Connor in shocked confusion for a moment before staring back at Draco, now apparently bored with the whimpers coming from Crabbe as he lay curled in a ball on the floor and moving to start clubbing at Goyle. Ron nodded. “Right. Draco? Er…mate?” The Headboy moved hastily to Draco’s side as a particularly nasty blow on Goyle’s arm sounded with an unmistakable crack of a broken arm. “Draco, that’s enough!” Ron grabbed for the blood-soaked wood in Draco’s hand and caught it in a tight grip. “That’s enough, you won!”

Draco spun round with a snarl and smacked Ron straight in the eye. “Fuck off!” His face twisted with anger and hatred he was barely recognisable as calm, handsome boy Angel had claimed days before. “I’m going to kill him.”

Connor’s eyes widened at the wild look on Draco’s face and a stab of recognition at the animalistic bloodlust there. “Draco.” Motioning Harry over to take over with Kit, Connor stood and spread his hands unthreateningly to the sides as he spoke in a low, even voice. “Calm down, you saved her. Kit’s ok.”

Draco shook his head like a wounded beast and swiped at a trickle of someone else’s blood that dripped into his eye. “They hurt her.” He kicked at the moaning Goyle. “They laughed.”

Connor shot a wry look at the body on the floor. “They aren’t laughing now.” He gestured behind him. “Come see Kit. She’s ok.” He turned slightly as he felt movement behind him and Kit gave him a tremulous smile as she clutched at Harry.

Kit swallowed as she looked at Draco, covered in the blood of her attackers, and stepped away from Harry’s worried embrace. She kept smiling uncertainly as she took hesitant steps towards him and laid a hand on his arm. “Are you ok?” Blood dripped from her chin onto her sweater and Kit wiped at it with her sleeve. “Are you hurt?”

Some of the crazy bled from Draco’s face at the soft question and he touched a light finger to her face. “I’m fine. They hurt you.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I wasn’t quick enough.”

“Yes, you were.” Kit’s voice shook slightly, but she kept her eyes locked firmly with his. “You were plenty quick. Thank you.”

A frown creased Draco’s brow as he looked at his bloodstained fingers against her pale skin. “I’m filthy.” His hand dropped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” He cut off abruptly as Kit wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him breathless. Draco stared down at the dark head pressed against his chest and his mouth dropped open in astonishment at the first hug from the opposite sex he had ever received that wasn’t either about cold duty or a sexual liaison. He could feel the light shivers of shock that ran through Kit and a damp patch grew against his shirt as she surrendered to an understandable fit of tears. Slowly Draco’s arms rose and he placed them hesitantly around her slim figure, waiting for the stiffening of her body and the inevitable rejection as she remembered who she was hugging. Kit sniffed as she felt her nose begin to run and nestled closer, her breath hitching as she tried to get herself under control.

Connor felt a lump in his own throat as the last of the madness left Draco’s face and a look of uncertain wonder replaced it as Kit redoubled her hold on him at his cautious hug. He watched as Draco tightened his arms around Kit and cradled her as she cried, the blond boy’s eyes naked and vulnerable as he held the battered girl to him.

Ron touched Connor’s shoulder. “Nice one.” He watched Draco and Kit for a minute and then looked down at the beaten bodies on the floor. “We’d better get them to the medical wing.”

Connor raised an uncaring eyebrow. “Should we?” He stared at one body after another and shrugged. “They’re all still breathing; we should just leave them here. Someone will find them sooner or later.”

Harry nodded in approval. “Suits me.” He sneered at the moaning mess that was Goyle and jerked a thumb back to the crumpled, moaning heap of robes that Draco had felled with his first punch. “That one sounds like a girl, by the way.”

Ron, who had been guiltily considering the option of abandoning the vanquished bullies to their fates, gave a resigned sigh. “We’re getting them help.” He strode over to the girl and peered down at her as his foot crunched down on something white and streaked with blood. “Are these her teeth?” Pansy Parkinson, bleeding profusely and now indeed minus her front teeth and a lower canine, opened dazed, pain-filled eyes and whimpered pathetically. Ron cocked his eyebrow unsympathetically. “Just be thankful you have some left.”

Harry looked up from where he was crouched over Goyle. “He’s fainted.” He nodded at Draco and said sincerely. “Good job, mate. Top marks.”

Draco hugged Kit to him tighter as the adrenalin rush of homicidal rage left him and he began to realise just what he’d done. “I wanted to kill them.”

Connor poked Crabbe with a hard foot and shrugged philosophically. “Nope, definitely alive. Oh well, maybe next time.” He smiled warmly at Draco. “I think you got your point across anyway.”

Ron took hold of Pansy’s robes and pulled her to her feet, ignoring her sob of terror and pain. “In a big way. Excellent.”

“What?” Draco’s eyes opened wide at the last words he expected to hear out of Ron Weasley’s mouth. “I just beat up a girl and you’re happy about this?”

It was Ron’s turn to look surprised. “Any reason I shouldn’t be? Kit was in trouble and you helped her. Nice work.” He eyed Pansy with distaste as she swung like a rag doll from his clenched fist and drooled blood and spit down herself. “And ‘girl’ is stretching it a bit, isn’t it?”

Draco, still with arms tightly wrapped around Kit, looked absently at the surrounding area. “I think I dropped my wand somewhere. If I can find it, I can conjure up some stretchers.”

Connor exchanged a surprised look with Ron. “You had your wand with you?”

Draco nodded absently. “Yes. I think I dropped it when I hit Pansy.” He looked at the carefully neutral expression on Connor’s face. “Why? What’s the matter?”

Connor shifted uncomfortably. “I just thought you’d, y’know, use magic or something.” He gestured at the three battered Slytherins. “It just seems weird that you…”

“Oh fuck.” Draco’s face lost all the colour it had gained in the fight and turned back to its usual bone white as he stared in almost comic horror at Connor. “I’ve gone muggle!”


	30. Chapter Twenty-Five

The day after Draco’s single-handed annihilation of Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle, Durus Cateanus were awoken by the sound of Molly Weasley shrieking at the top of her voice and thumping with abandon on their bedroom doors. Being the calm level headed people that they were, all eight teenagers hit the ground running, grabbing wands and assorted weaponry from their bedsides before bursting into the corridor outside their rooms in various states of undress ready to save their new head of house from attack and repel whatever had been stupid enough to break into their quarters in the first place.

Molly shrieked again as she went down under the combined weight of her son, daughter, Harry, Hermione and Draco as Dawn, Kit and Connor took up positions facing either end of the corridor with swords, and in Dawn’s case, wand drawn. “What is it, Mum?” Ron looked up and down the peaceful corridor urgently, not registering the chill that was turning his pale skin a rather delightful shade of blue. “Are you hurt?”

Draco put a large hand on the top of Ginny’s head and pushed down, ignoring her squawk of annoyance. “Stay low.” He tried to peer over the top of Harry’s head. “See anything, Potter?”

Harry blinked furiously to clear his sleep blurred eyes and wished heartily that he’d thought to grab his glasses in the scramble to get out the door. “Nothing.” He blushed as he realised he was staring at the back of Kit’s smooth legs as they disappeared into her shortie pyjamas and hastily switched his gaze to the top of the empty stairs. “Definitely nothing.”

“Let…me…up!” Molly smacked feebly at Hermione’s shoulder and tried to breathe under the not inconsiderable weight of half the saviours of wizarding kind. “Let… me…up…now!”

Connor glanced back over his shoulder. “I think its all clear.” He sniffed the air experimentally. “I can’t smell any intruders.”

Draco pushed himself off the pile of bodies on the floor and reached absently down to tug first Ginny and then Hermione to their feet as he looked piercingly up and down the corridor. “Are you sure?” He moved out of the way as Harry and Ron helped Molly up and stood at Connor’s shoulder. “Mrs Weasley sounded quite alarmed.”

Ron brushed at his mother’s faded pink candlewick dressing gown anxiously. “Are you alright, mum? Did they hurt you?”

Molly took a few deep shuddering breaths and then fetched Ron a clip round the ear that had him yelling with pain and dancing hastily out of range of her next swing. “What on earth do you children think you are doing?” She pushed a faded red curl out of her face, glaring around her at the assorted swords and wands ready for action and there was a sudden hasty chorus of sheepish coughs and hiding of weapons. “We’re not under attack!”

Dawn looked relieved. “We’re not?” The smile died from her face as Molly eyeballed her angrily. “Oh. That’s good.”

Connor blew her a good morning kiss and grinned. “Makes a nice change.” His grin slid off his face and he dodged behind Draco as the evil-mom-eye-of-death focused on him.

Draco ignored the fact that he was only dressed in a pair of black pyjama bottoms and drew himself up to state firmly. “It wasn’t my fault, I followed Ron.” He sidestepped gracefully and slipped behind the startled Connor. “Just following my leader.”

Molly sniffed and folded her arms across her substantial bosom. “What in Merlin’s name have they been teaching you at this school?” Her eyes narrowed again as there was another chorus of uncomfortable coughing, this time with some embarrassed toeing of the floor as well. “Is this how you normally wake up?”

Ginny shook her head earnestly. “Oh no, mum.” She pushed her sleep-tangled hair back from her face and smiled winningly. “This hardly ever happens.”

“We thought you were in trouble.” Kit flinched as she came under scrutiny. “You know, what with the screaming and all.” She eyed Molly’s hair and chewed nervously at her lip as she saw the assorted dust bunnies now grouped there. “But you’re not being attacked. Which is good. Um…Dawn?”

Dawn smiled her best I-didn’t-do-it-it-wasn’t-me-and-you-can’t-prove-it-anyway smile and tried to pull her vest top down to a more acceptable level. “Right, nobody’s attacking anybody. Great. So what’s the what?” She coughed and shuffled her feet as Molly stared at her in bewilderment. “I mean, what seems to be the problem?”

Molly eyed the slender brunette up and down and tried to ignore her daughter hastily taking Dawn’s sword from her and hiding it behind her own back. “I was trying to tell you that your parents have managed to find the children and that everyone is alright.” She closed her mouth abruptly as Dawn yelled with glee and flung her arms around Kit as both girls jumped up and down in celebration. Ron shouted with relived laughter and swung Ginny round off her feet as Harry staggered back under Hermione screaming with delight and throwing her arms around his waist.

Connor clapped Draco on the back and tossed his incredibly sharp sword into the air like a baton. “Go Dad!” He caught the sword and then managed to flip it over his shoulder as Kit and Dawn jumped into his arms, saying suavely. “Good morning, ladies.”

Kit giggled as Connor spun her off her feet and flung out an arm to hook Draco around the neck and pull him into their huddle. “They pulled it off! They pulled it off!”

Draco’s eyes crossed at the volume of Kit’s voice and he hastily pulled his ear away from her open mouth. “Yes. Much like my head if you don’t stop tugging on my neck.” He gave a startled huff of air as Dawn smacked him on the back of the head and pulled him back into the group hug. “Ow!”

Ron grabbed his mother’s stiff shoulders and planted a huge kiss on either cheek. “And everyone’s definitely ok? No one got hurt this time?”

Molly blinked up at her youngest son’s grinning face and her eyes filled with tears suddenly. “Oh Ron…” She pressed a hand to her mouth as his face fell. “Oh Ron…”

Dawn wriggled until Connor put her on her feet and took his hand in her suddenly trembling one. “What? What is it?” She swallowed. “Is it…Buffy?” She reached for Kit’s hand as her friend moaned quietly beside her but found Draco’s hand already clenched tightly around Kit’s smaller one.

Connor wrapped a strong arm around Dawn’s shoulder and squared his shoulders. “Just tell us.” He glanced at Draco and was pleased to see that Draco had copied his move and was now standing behind Kit and gripping her shoulders in his hands. Connor squinted at Draco’s white knuckles, then at the taller boy’s pinched face and realised that Draco was taking as much comfort from the touch as Kit.

“Mum?” Ron slipped his arm around Molly’s shoulders and squeezed gently as Ginny took her mother’s hand in hers. “What is it, mum?”

Molly’s mouth worked as she shook her head and she patted Ginny’s arm with her free hand. “I…I’m sorry.” Tears trickled down her pale cheeks as she tried to sniff them back. “Everyone’s fine. I didn’t mean to…to…scare you.” She made a sound between a sob and a laugh at the baffled looks on the eight faces surrounding her. “You’re so young and this is all so…so…”

“Normal? Oof!” Connor scowled at Dawn as he rubbed his stomach and dodged her next elbow jab. “What? It is!”

Dawn glared at his outraged face. “Stop. Helping.” She turned to look at Molly now surrounded by her children and Harry and Hermione as they anxiously tried to comfort her. “Mrs Weasley?” She smiled sympathetically at Molly’s stricken face. “I’m really sorry you got caught up in the middle of all this.”

Molly hiccupped as she tried to reply. “Oh, it’s not…not your fa…fault, dear. I’ve been putting up with this sort of thing for years.” Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione all flushed guiltily as she smiled wanly. “I just get so…so…worried sometimes.” Molly sniffed back another threatening set of tears. “You shouldn’t be at risk like this, finding this all so…well, normal.”

“Agreed, but you and I seem to be the only sane people in this lunatic asylum.” Draco smiled coolly at Molly as he edged Kit out of his way and strode forwards. “I find that the world always looks much better after a nice hot breakfast and maybe some tea?” Ignoring Ron’s stunned face, Draco took Molly’s trembling hand in his and pulled her gently with him as he continued down the corridor. “Perhaps we might arrange with the kitchens to enjoy breakfast together in our quarters this morning rather than the hall?” He nudged Molly down the stairs. “Why don’t we all take a few moments to get ourselves dressed and then maybe you could order our breakfast?”

Molly nodded in agreement and tugged a handkerchief from her sleeve to dab at her eyes. “Yes, of course. Silly of me to get so upset.”

“Not at all.” Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron all watched in astonishment as Draco Malfoy patted Molly on her shoulder almost kindly. “I think it’s quite understandable. We’ll be down in a few moments.” He watched as Molly trotted down the stairs and then turned to head back to his room to find Ron and the others still gaping at him, Kit and Dawn nodding in approval and Connor grinning wildly and giving him the thumbs up. Draco scowled and stomped back down the corridor. “There’s nothing worse than a snivelling woman, I had to do something to shut her up before she drove me to impale myself on my wand.” His face darkened with more embarrassment as Ginny and the others watched him storm pass speechlessly, not the least bit taken in by his automatic defensiveness. “For God’s sake, the old bat was about to whine herself into a sticky puddle.” He caught Connor’s eye as Kit and Dawn tried to hide their giggles. “Shut up!”

Kit exploded into giggles as the boys’ bedroom door slammed shut behind Draco. “He’s so cute with that big bad ‘tude he’s got going on.”

Dawn grinned and winked at Ginny’s stunned face. “Yeah, he’s got a nice ass too.” The grin widened as Ginny flushed bright red and her gaping mouth shut with a snap. “If you go for that sort of thing.”

Connor clapped his hands together and rolled his eyes at his unrepentant girlfriend. “So, breakfast?” He looked round at his decidedly underdressed friends, adding thoughtfully. “And clothes, definitely some clothes.”

  
  
  


* * *

Breakfast was an oasis of calm after the action packed start to the morning and Ron and Ginny sat anxiously on either side of their mother doing their very best impersonations of normal, non-death-defying teenagers in an effort to chase the last haunting shadows of worry from her eyes. “Have I told you that I might be failing potions, mum?” Ron slapped a generous dollop of marmalade on his golden toast and nodded encouragingly at Molly. “I expect you’re probably a bit annoyed about that?”

Ginny tugged at her mother’s robe on Molly’s other side. “I haven’t got above a C-in charms all term, mum.” Ginny tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and added. “And arithmancy is looking a bit dodgy too.”

Connor leaned towards Dawn and took the opportunity to steal her last crisp rasher of bacon while he was at it. “That’s meant to make her feel better?”

Dawn scowled and slapped his hand as he made a play for her last sausage as well. “Stop that. And yes, it’s meant to make her feel better.” Her face softened as she glanced at Molly. “Buff used to do this all the time with mom. Nothing like the possibility of your kid flunking out of school to take your mind off their latest brush with death.” Her green eyes shimmered with bittersweet memories as she pictured Buffy’s earnest face explaining her latest educational disaster and smoothly diverting her mother’s attention away from the latest crop of bruises adorning her pretty face. “Worked every time.”

It was certainly working with Molly. “For heavens sake, Ron, you’re Headboy!” Molly’s face was lined with disapproval as she glared at her son. “How will it look if you fail your exams, what will the other students think?” She slapped an annoyed hand on one of the three desks that had been pushed together in the middle of the room to serve as an impromptu dining table. “And now Ginny is following your example, it’s just not good enough. I don’t know what your father is going to say.”

Ron swapped a smug look with Ginny and privately thought his father would be saying ‘good job, son’ right about now, but wisely kept his thoughts to himself and sighed remorsefully. “I know. I’m sorry, mum.”

Molly’s gimlet eye swung to cover the rest of the table. “And what about the rest of you, is there anything I should know about?”

Hermione shook her head vigorously, sending her bushy hair flying. “Oh, no, I’m fine.”

Harry spluttered as some flyaway strands of Hermione’s hair caught the side of his mouth. “Me too.” He flushed as Ron gave him a pointed look and muttered reluctantly. “Well…there might possibly be some concerns over potions.”

Molly’s mouth pursed and she sniffed. “I see. Dawn, Connor?”

Connor raised his goblet of juice triumphantly. “Straight C’s all the way!” He paused with his drink halfway to his mouth as Molly’s face darkened. “That’s good, right?”

Dawn winced as Molly looked at her expectantly. “Straight split between B’s and C’s.”

Kit blinked virtuously as Molly raised her eyebrows in her direction. “Haven’t been graded yet.” She pointed at her erstwhile saviour of the night before. “What about Draco?”

Draco glanced up from where he was carefully taking the top off a boiled egg. “What about Draco?”

Molly’s fingernails tapped an annoyed tattoo on the tabletop. “Your marks so far this term, dear.” She glowered at the uncomfortable faces around her. “Although I fail to see how they could be any worse than this lot.”

Ron smirked confidently. “Don’t bet on it.”

“Oh.” Draco carefully removed the top of his egg and started to cut a piece of toast into soldiers. “Straight A’s apart from charms. I’m averaging a B in that.” He looked up as Ron choked on a mushroom and Harry started to thump him on the back to clear his blocked airway. “What’s the matter with you?”

“Straight A’s?” Hermione’s eyes bugged alarmingly and a small tick appeared at the side of her mouth. “You?”

Draco dipped his soldier in his runny egg and looked highly affronted. “Yes, straight A’s, me.” He popped the soggy bread in his mouth and smiled virtuously at Molly. “Some of us happen to care about our education.”

Harry glared and paused in trying to help Ron breathe. “Git.” Then he ducked behind Ron’s broad back as Molly swung round in her seat indignantly.

“You could do a lot worse than follow Draco’s example, Harry Potter!” Molly shook her head in exasperation as Harry gaped incredulously between her and the smirking Draco. “Honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to do with the lot of you.” She glanced towards the door as a hesitant knock sounded and stood to answer the summons. “But don’t think for one moment that I’m going to forget about this.”

Connor glared at Draco’s smug face as Molly crossed to the door. “Suck up.” His eyes narrowed in sudden suspicion. “You changed the grades, didn’t you?” Shooting a wary glance at Molly’s back he leaned across Dawn and whispered. “If you did, can you do mine?”

Draco picked up another soldier and dipped it in his egg. “No I bloody didn’t change the grades.” He swallowed half his toast in a single bite and blinked self-righteously. “Because that would be wrong. I earned every single one of those marks.”

Hermione blinked owlishly at the top of Draco’s head as he set about cutting up another slice of toast into little pieces. “Straight A’s? YOU?”

Molly turning at the door and waving at the table forestalled Draco’s pithy reply. “Kit? Someone to see you, dear.”

Kit stifled a giggle as Hermione’s face began to turn a fierce, outraged crimson at the thought of Draco Malfoy being her academic equal and looked up to see her mother watching her uncertainly. “Mom! What are you doing here?”

Liz Horvath watched as her daughter hastily got up from her breakfast and skirted her friends to hurry across to her side. “I thought we might be able to talk some more.” Her brow creased as she caught sight of the angry gash just visible under Kit’s hairline and the purple bruise that the girl’s make-up didn’t quite conceal. “What happened to you?”

Kit squirmed uncomfortably as Liz anxiously brushed her hair back. “Um…ran into a door?” She took a step back as Liz’s eyes flashed angrily. “Ok, ok, I ran into some trouble last night.”

Liz’s eyes continued to snap with rage for several more moments before she sighed shakily. “I never bought into all those excuses you used to give me, you know.” The hand that had been examining Kit’s head now skated lightly over her daughter’s cheek. “I…I thought that maybe you’d got caught up in a bad relationship, but I just didn’t know how to reach you. You’ve always been so distant and so self-contained.”

Kit grabbed her mother’s hand and squeezed tightly. “Mom, why didn’t you say anything?” She shifted as guilt snaked through her chest and squeezed her heart. “I can’t believe you thought that about me.”

Liz squeezed Kit’s hand with a bitter laugh. “What else was I meant to think? You came home night after night battered and bruised, your clothes all ripped and stained…” Tears welled up in her eyes. “I even tried to follow you some nights but I always lost you. God, Kit, I was so scared I’d push you away completely if I confronted you.” She laughed bitterly. “I used to lie awake at night fantasising about you finally breaking down and telling me what was happening and I’d be able to do something about it and now I know the truth I almost wish that you were being abused. God forgive me, but I think I prefer the thought of some ape using you as a punch-bag rather than you going looking for fights with these… these…”

Kit’s eyes filled with her own tears as she pulled her mother close in a desperate hug. “I’m sorry, mom, I’m so sorry.” She looked helplessly over her Liz’s shoulder at Molly Weasley as the English woman’s eyes reflected her mother’s pain back at her. “Oh dammit.”

Dawn and the others watched in unhappy silence as Kit tried to comfort her sobbing mother and then Ginny got up from the table to gather her own mother in her arms. Connor shifted in his chair and muttered. “Maybe we should leave them alone. I could go train…”

Dawn turned her head and looked soberly at her boyfriend. “You take one step towards those stairs and I’ll snap your feet off at the ankles.” She waited until Connor stilled and then took her hand in his to whisper softly. “We did this, it’s what we force other people to live with.”

For possibly the first time in his life, Harry found himself being profoundly grateful that he had no parents to worry over him as he saw the look of agony on the two mother’s faces as their daughters tried to comfort them. He sat in painful silence with Ron as the two women sobbed out their fear for their children and silently swore to himself that he would do everything he could to spare Molly and Liz even as much as another second of pain if it was in his power. Connor sat with his hand in Dawn’s and joined her in a moment of silent reflection as they both thought of their own dead mothers. He knew logically that Darla would be more likely to be trying to kill him rather than save him, but he also spared a quick prayer for her soul as he remembered that she had given up her own life to protect him and keep him safe from harm.

Draco avoided everyone’s eyes as he concentrated on scooping out the last bits of egg from his shell and ignored the tight feeling in his chest at the thought of Narcissa fretting and worrying about him the same way the girls’ mothers were. He gave a bitter snort as he pictured Narcissa’s smooth, unlined face and the likelihood of her ever thinking of him as more than a pawn in her quest for power and social standing and then the pale face in his mind faded as he pictured Cordelia’s tanned, smiling one informing him that she did upset on a major scale. Despite the high angst levels flooding the room, Draco finished his breakfast with an unconscious smile on his face.

Kit eventually eased back from her mother’s desperate grip and swiped a hand carelessly over her cheeks and then more gently tried to wipe away her mother’s tears. “I’m sorry I did this to you, mom.” She tried to smile. “And I’m really sorry I’m not having the crap kicked out of me by my boyfriend every night. If I had a boyfriend.” Despite the seriousness of the situation, Kit couldn’t stop her eyes drifting to Harry’s serious face as she added firmly. “Which I don’t.”

Liz laughed reluctantly. “I’m sorry too.” She tried to sniff back her tears and stared pleadingly at Kit. “Let’s go home, sweetie, please. We can go back to Sunnydale and if you want we can sell the house and move somewhere else, start fresh. We can put all this behind us, I know we can.”

Kit’s face fell and she backed up a step. “Mom, don’t ask me to do that. I don’t want to have to choose between the people I love.”

Molly patted Ginny’s arm and moved her aside as she stepped forward to forestall Liz’s reply. “I don’t want to interrupt but before you go any further I think there’s something you need to see.” She cast a quick look at the wizarding clock standing against the wall beside the door and nodded to herself. “There’s something we both need to see.”

  
  
  


* * *

Liz frowned as she looked about the Great Hall and the strained, silent people gathered there. “I don’t understand, what do I need to see?” Her eyes rested on a thin woman, arms wrapped around herself as she rocked absently on a bench by the wall. “I don’t understand.”

Molly looked around the hall as she stood at Liz’s side. “These people had their children stolen from them the other night.” Her mouth trembled for a moment but she squared her shoulders and carried resolutely on. “Infants and toddlers were taken as their families fought, and died, to protect them.”

Harry flinched as he met the eyes of the woman that had pleaded with him to save her daughter days before. “Oh, Merlin.” He glanced down as Hermione slipped her cold hand into his and squeezed. “I don’t think I want to be here.”

Molly patted his arm absently as she looked expectantly towards the teacher’s platform at the other end of the room. “Yes you do, dear.” Her face melted into a misty-eyed smile as a loud pop announced the arrival of the first influx of rescuees port-keying home from Buffy and Angel’s raid. “Yes you do.”

“NICKY!” The scream ripped through the hall as the woman who had lost her daughter jumped to her feet and stumbled forwards to a small blonde girl cradled in a smiling Fred Weasley’s arms. “Nicky!”

Fred jumped off the platform as the little girl in his arms stirred and strode forward to hand the child to her mother. “There you go, love, safe and sound.” He beamed as the distraught mother gathered her little girl close in shaking arms and guided them to a nearby bench as they both began to sob. “Why don’t you come and sit down, eh?”

Ginny and Dawn swapped beaming smiles as the hall became alive with the sound of families being reunited and the crying of relieved parents and over-wrought children. Everywhere they looked Aurors and members of the Order of the Phoenix were handing over bundles of screaming children to their equally hysterical parents and exchanging self-congratulatory grins as they were shoved aside in the parents’ haste to check over their children. Dawn sighed with satisfaction. “God, I love this job.”

Connor nudged Draco as they leant side by side against the wall in the shadows. “Pretty good start to the day, huh?”

Draco tore his eyes away from a tall man clutching his newly restored son, tears streaming silently down the haggard man’s face as he swayed from side to side. “I’ve had worse I suppose.” He winced as an infant nearby apparently got fed up of it’s mother smothering it’s face with kisses and send up a piercing cry for some food. “Although I could do without that.”

Connor chuckled and then straightened as he caught a glimpse of a familiar shining bob of dark hair. “There’s mom!” He waved as Cordelia appeared on the platform clutching a small bundle of blankets as she peered hopefully around for a parent to claim it. “Mom!”

Cordelia smiled as Connor loped towards her and then quickly dodged back to grab Draco before sprinting back towards her. “Hi guys. How’s my two favourite kids?”

Connor reached up and gripped her waist to lift her carefully to the floor. “We’re good. Is dad coming?”

Cordy shook her head apologetically. “Sorry, hun, he of the broodiness is stuck in some big meeting but he sends his love.” She pouted with distaste as she adjusted the baby in her arms. “This kid just filled his diaper. Is there anyone here who knows how to find his parents?”

Connor sniffed the air and stepped back smartly. “Um…I’ll go find out. Be right back.”

Draco watched him go with a smirk, which quickly turned into an expression of horror as Cordelia unceremoniously shoved the baby into his arms. “Here, hold this.” Cordy sniffed her hands and winced. “Yuck. I am so glad you and Connor are past all that stage.”

Draco held the baby as though it was a bundle of high explosives. “Me too. Please take this back.” An expression of pure terror settled on his face as the baby squirmed in protest at the unhappy hands holding it. “Now! Take it back now!”

Cordy ignored the terrified command to smile as Dawn came running up. “Hi, sweetie. You ok?”

Dawn flung her arms around Cordelia. “I’m fine. How about you guys?”

Cordy nodded. “Willow did the location spell after a couple of false starts, we saddled up and hit the hideout and, voila, instant kid retrieval.” She kissed Dawn’s cheek and then kissed the other one. “That’s from Buffy and Spike, they’re sorry they couldn’t pop back but I was the only one free to come along and make sure there were no problems.”

Dawn grinned. “That’s ok.” She squeezed Cordy’s hand gratefully. “I’m so glad everything’s alright.” Her grin widened as she looked at Draco staring at the now awake child in his hands with an expression of unadulterated terror. “What’s up with him?”

“Infantis Terrifitis.” Cordy rolled her eyes in disgust and took the baby back, making a determined effort to breath through her mouth and not her nose. “Typical guy. Not so fast!”

Draco froze as he tried to slip away and turned back to look at Cordelia warily. “What? I didn’t do anything.”

Cordy’s mouth twitched at the automatic defence. “Oh yeah, I can see you and Connor have been spending way too much time together.” She awkwardly shoved the baby under her arm and fumbled in her tight fitting jeans pocket before pulling out a crumpled piece of parchment and waving it under Draco’s nose. “Got any thoughts on this, blondie?”

Draco carefully took the parchment from Cordelia’s hand and smoothed it out to give it a cursory glance. “Ah.” His face returned to its usual blank mask. “All quite true.”

Dawn frowned and snatched the paper from Draco’s hand to skim over it as Cordy replied dryly. “Well, duh! Got an explanation I want to hear anytime soon? The Headmaster says in the letter that the people you beat up are gonna need major magical reconstruction and medical care.”

Dawn’s mouth fell open as Draco shook his head mutely. “What?” She whirled on Cordelia and threw up her hands in exasperation. “Cordy, he was defending Kit.” Draco opened his mouth to tell Dawn to keep quiet and got a stinging slap on the side of his head for his trouble. “Shut it, snakeboy! Cor, Kit got attacked late last night and Draco was the only one around. She was getting really hurt and they were laughing and…”

Cordelia held up a hand to stave off the torrent of explanations. “Ok, Dawn, that’s enough. Draco, is this true?” She narrowed her brown eyes at him until he reluctantly nodded and then smiled warmly. “Angel and I figured there’d be something like that behind it. We’re proud of you, sweetheart.” Cordy rose on her toes to press a warm kiss to Draco’s confounded cheek and then looked around the hall as she gripped the baby in one arm and took Draco’s hand firmly in her free one. “And if that wrinkled old Woodstock reject thinks he’s sticking you with detention for the next two weeks over this, he’s got a big-ass wake-up call coming his way.” Cordy stomped off dragging Draco in her wake. “No one punishes a kid of mine for doing the right thing no matter how Charles Bronson-y he got about it.”

Draco tugged at his hand fruitlessly. “I assure you, there’s really no need…”

“Shut it, broody.” Cordelia’s face deepened in a fierce scowl as she spotted Professor Dumbledore in conversation with Remus Lupin twenty feet away and she picked up her pace. “Oh, his hippy butt is mine.”

Kit stood by her mother’s side and watched the emotional scenes with soft eyes. She sighed as a small, portly man called to an equally tubby little boy and swept the howling child up into his arms, where the kid was promptly sick all over the man’s brightly coloured waistcoat. She stole a glance at Liz’s face and then at Molly dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief again. “I should go find the others.” She caught the wave of a frantic hand from the corner of her eye and turned her head to see Draco shooting her a desperate glance as Cordelia shoved the now howling baby she carried into Remus’ arms and poked a sharp finger into Dumbledore’s chest as she began to loudly berate him. Kit winced in sympathy as Cordelia yanked Draco forward and gestured angrily between the mortified boy and the startled Headmaster. “Actually, I think I should go help Draco. I’ll come back in a minute.” She blinked as Cordelia began to emit a definite white glow. “Hopefully.”

Liz watched her daughter run to rescue a humiliated looking Malfoy as Cordelia began to pulse with radiant white light in her agitation. “I don’t know her at all, do I?”

Molly smiled at the quiet murmur and watched her four youngest children hold an enthusiastic reunion in the middle of the hall as Hermione and Harry waved to Remus Lupin where he stood watching Cordelia lay into Dumbledore. “I don’t think any of us ever really know our children.” She pointed to Fred and George as they handed Ginny a prettily wrapped box and it promptly exploded into a shower of stars and planets around the delighted girl. “Take those two for instance, the bane of the last eighteen years of my existence but they’ve just received awards for bravery from the Order of Merlin and head a squadron of young wizards trained in specialised magical offensives.” Molly shook her head in mock despair as Fred waved his wand through the air and the stars and planets dancing around Ginny came together to form a bouquet of shimmering light. “Can’t put together a decent headache potion to save their lives but give them two minutes in a locked and empty room and they’ll have found half a dozen different ways out of it and laid as many booby traps again for anyone trying to get in. I used to think I’d be spending my twilight years travelling to prison once a month to see my sons and now they’re strong, dependable, responsible young men who are playing a key role in defending their society from a dreadful threat. Funny how things work out.”

Liz watched as Kit managed to insinuate herself between Draco and Cordelia and edge him back slightly, sending an exasperated look at Dawn and Connor shaking with helpless laughter nearby. “I won’t let her throw her life away like this.” She took a shuddering breath. “This isn’t what I want for her.”

Molly snorted. “Of course you don’t. Given a choice, do you really think that I want my own children risking their lives like this?” She gestured at Ron, Harry and Hermione silently taunting Draco out of Cordelia’s line of sight. “Or any of them come to that. I want them to be safe at school, get good marks in their exams and then find nice, safe jobs before they settle down to a nice, safe, normal life. Unfortunately that’s not what they’ve chosen for themselves and I have to live with that. They won’t be the people I love if I force them to change.”

Liz twisted her trembling fingers together as Kit beamed proudly up at Draco when he nodded his thanks and then headed towards Ron and the others with a look of angry determination on his face. “Nothing about this situation is normal. Her best friend is already dead; I don’t want that to happen to Kit. She’s all I have.”

Molly smiled sympathetically at Liz and patted her arm. “And she’s part of the all hope these people have.” She nodded at the children and parents grouped in the hall. “If we can’t stop the Dark Lord before he’s destroyed the wizarding world then he’ll go after the muggle one. Your world. Kit’s part of something that can stop that and she’s going to do it whether you want her to or not because she can’t stand by and let people suffer if she can help them. You’ve done a wonderful job with your daughter and now you have to trust you taught her well enough to stand back and let her go do what she has to do.”

Liz met her daughter’s eyes across the hall and tried to return the hesitant smile Kit gave her. “I can’t leave her here alone. I won’t leave her here alone.”

Molly shrugged her plump shoulders. “Then stay here with us, Merlin knows I could use the help with that bunch and there’s plenty for us to do when they’re in classes. I understand that you’re to be placed in protective custody anyway and at least if you remain with us then Kit will be where she needs to be and you can keep your eye on her. Get to know your daughter.”

Liz watched Kit for another few moments and gave a trembling sigh. “I don’t think I have a choice, do I?”

  
  
  


* * *

An hour later and the hall was empty of everyone but Dumbledore, Cordelia, Remus Lupin, Molly, Liz, Durus Cateanus and three children, including the baby Cordy had brought with her, that had no one left to claim them. Dumbledore sighed heavily as he watched Connor play catch with the two older children, brothers of two and three. “This is deeply distressing.”

Cordy scowled at her son. “You’re telling me.” She folded her arms across her chest and raised her voice. “Connor, when you play catch with a kid you don’t use the actual kid. Go find a ball or something!”

Connor glanced quickly at his mother as he launched the boy into space once more and then caught his squealing brother just before he hit the floor and protested. “But they’re enjoying themselves.” He threw the three-year-old up as the two year old began to scream with excitement as he tumbled back towards the floor.

Cordy put her hands on her hips. “Connor Angel…”

Connor caught the two toddlers nimbly and pouted. “Yes ma’am.” He tucked a child under each arm and made his way back to his friends. “Come on, guys, let’s go see if Auntie Dawnie wants to play hide and seek or something.”

Dumbledore smiled as Dawn looked nonplussed at being handed a thoroughly over-excited toddler and hurriedly handed the child over to a much more willing Hermione. “Thank you Ms Chase but not quite what I meant.” He sighed again as the smaller boy nestled his head sleepily into the curve of Connor’s shoulder and blinked tiredly at his brother playing peek-a-boo with Ron through the wild strands of Hermione’s hair. “Those two boys are the last of their family left alive. Archimedes Snell was a friend of mine and, aside from his wife, was unfortunately quite without family or close connections. I can’t begin to imagine what I am to do with his sons now.”

Cordy raised an eyebrow. “Well, don’t look at me, buster. I’m already one kid up thanks to you guys and I’m not looking to take on any more.” She wagged a warning finger. “And don’t even think about owling Angel and mentioning this little problem to him. I am so not ready to play stay-at-home-mommy yet.”

Dumbledore’s eyes danced with wry amusement at Cordelia’s shamelessly selfish announcement. “Understood.” He glanced at Ginny who was sitting with Kit cooing over the infant cuddled in the American girl’s arms. “There is the matter of the baby to be considered also.”

Liz cleared her throat. “Don’t you have some kind of social services department that can deal with this?” She nodded towards the children and teenagers. “Surely they can provide them with suitable homes.”

“Ordinarily, yes.” The Headmaster stroked the length of his white beard thoughtfully. “But unfortunately every available civil servant and employee at the Ministry is devoting all their time to the current situation. Alas, in times of war, children are often the most overlooked casualties. I could perhaps see if there is a family currently residing at Hogwarts that might be persuaded to care for the three of them in the short-term but conditions are hardly ideal outside and I hesitate to place three such vulnerable…”

“Oh, for goodness sake!” Molly flung her hands into the air in exasperated annoyance. “You really are the most infuriating man I have ever known, Albus Dumbledore. If you want me to care for the children just say so. There’s no need to play dirty.”

Dumbledore blinked in hurt surprise. “Why, Molly, you know I would never presume…”

“Hogwash.” Molly narrowed her eyes at his innocent face and then looked at Liz. “Well, what do you think? If you’re staying this will affect you too and we have no idea how long this situation will continue. It’s a lot to ask.”

“What?” Kit looked up from tickling the baby’s chin and stared at her mother in astonishment. “You’re staying?” She darted a quick look at Dawn’s equally surprised face and then looked back at her mother. “Here?”

Liz took a deep breath and nodded. “Well, apparently going home is out of the question whether you come with me or not, so Molly suggested that I stay here until this all gets sorted out.” She stared soberly at Kit. “I’m still not convinced that this is the right life for you but I’m willing to try if you are.”

Kit blinked back tears at her mother’s unexpected olive branch and nodded. “Ok, I’d like that. Thanks Mom.”

Liz gave her daughter a sad smile and then nodded at Molly. “Ok, day-care it is.”

Cordelia grinned. “Great. Well I should get back to kick-ass central.” She poked a sharp finger in Dumbledore’s chest. “And if my kids get in any more trouble, Merlin, just remember I’m only a hop, skip and a bang away from kicking your butt before you go giving out any more stupid ass punishments; are we clear?”

Dumbledore winced and moved hurriedly out of range of Cordy’s razor sharp finger. “Quite clear, Ms Chase. I assure you Draco will only be made to serve the three days we, er…agreed on.”

Cordy flashed a blinding smile. “Cool. Connor, Draco, come say goodbye to mommy.” Ignoring the sniggers from Ron and Harry, Connor and Draco exchanged embarrassed looks to troop over to Cordy and receive a loud kiss and bone cracking hugs each. Cordy smirked at their mortified expressions and compounded their humiliation by pinching their scarlet cheeks. “Be good boys and make mommy proud.”

Draco watched as Remus held out a small tube of toothpaste to Cordelia and wisely waited until they had both disappeared with a loud bang to say. “That woman is terrifying.” He rubbed hard at his cheek where he could feel the wetness of Cordelia’s lipstick. “I’m glad she’s on our side.”

Connor looked at the spot where Cordelia had stood. “Wait until the first time she smacks you upside the head for spilling demon guts on her clean floor and then see how thankful you are.” He shook his head. “For a skinny, mostly human woman she sure as hell packs a punch.”

Dumbledore rubbed his hands together. “Well, I have some work I must catch up on. I’m sure you all have homework that needs completing before Monday morning and Mrs Weasley and Mrs Horvath obviously have some preparations to make in your quarters for the children. If you’ll excuse me?” With a wave of his hand the old wizard turned on his heel and exited the hall.

Dawn stood from her perch on her bench and evaded the sticky fingers making a grab for her long hair. “Right, homework and then training?” She eyed the small boy bouncing in Hermione’s lap and then the tiny face cooing in Kit’s arms. “And just so we’re clear, I don’t do diapers. Ever.”

Hermione smiled at the small dark head cuddled against her and then frowned. “We don’t even know their names.” She stared in consternation at the hall doors. “Sir! Professor Dumbledore, what are their names?”

Ron hurried outside and just as quickly returned shaking his head. “He’s gone.” He pointed at the baby. “And we don’t even know what that is.”

Harry peered over Kit’s shoulder. “It’s a baby, you idiot.” He flushed as Kit giggled and muttered. “Oh. Right.”

Molly smiled at the giggling teenagers. “I’ll send a house-elf up to Dumbledore’s office. Help me get the children upstairs and then if you’ll keep them entertained for half an hour Liz and I can see about expanding the guest suite downstairs and having her bags brought up.”

Draco looked dubiously at the three small faces and then back at Molly. “I don’t like children.”

Ron smirked as he lifted the little boy Hermione had in her lap into his arms. “You’ll be alright, just think of them as muggles. We all know how much you like them, muggle-boy.”

Draco blanched. “That’s not funny, Weasel.”

Ron’s smirk widened. “Before you know it you’ll be watching telly-fission and talking on the fellytone.” He walked off calling over his shoulder. “I’ll bet you even start using those little brushes they use to clean their teeth.”

Looking thoroughly alarmed Draco shouted after his tormentor. “I will not, you take that back!” He gestured to his long black robes. “Do I look like a bloody muggle to you?” He glared at Kit as she gave a gentle cough and looked pointedly down at herself and then at Connor, both wearing identical black robes to his own. “I can hand you over to the Slytherins anytime, you know.”

Liz stood with Molly as the teenagers made their way from the hall, clutching the three children and alternately arguing or hooting with mocking laughter. “Is it too late to go and turn myself over to that evil wizard everyone’s so frightened off?”

Molly heaved a resigned sigh. “You have no idea how much you’re going to wish you had in the next few weeks. This isn’t going to be easy.” She began to walk hastily after the teenagers as she saw Harry palm his wand and point it at the back of Draco’s head after a particularly choice insult. “Don’t even think about it Harry Potter, I can see you!”

Liz took a deep breath and followed, muttering to herself. “A drug addiction, is that so much to ask? A nice, normal drug problem, maybe a little alcohol on the side, but nooo…my daughter has to want to save the world.” A sudden glow from the hallway and a surprised yelp from Draco announced that Molly hadn’t moved quickly enough. “I should have listened to my mother and died a virgin.”


	31. Chapter Twenty-Six

November was not an easy month for anyone in Durus Cateanus house. Once the novelty of their new situation had worn off, the occupants of the smallest house at Hogwarts began to find themselves in an almost constant state of irritation with pretty much anyone they came into contact with, including each other. The situation was not made any easier by the three young children that Molly Weasley and Liz Horvath had agreed to care for, who had started out as almost unbearably cute and precious and now were just three small children. Loud, demanding, messy and really quite boring unless you happened to share their fixation with building a tower of blocks as high as it could go and then knocking it down with a really loud bang for hour after tedious hour.

Liz was finding the adjustment to her new life even harder than she anticipated and was constantly on edge as day after day more unusual and downright impossible things were revealed to her than she could handle. The first time she had seen the Hogwarts ghosts en masse she hadn’t stopped screaming for a good five minutes and then had stayed hidden in the Durus house quarters for the next three days refusing to do anything but care for the young children.

Molly, although a genuinely warm loving mother, was finding to her secret shame that living with her children full-time for the first time in years was nowhere near as fulfilling as she had thought it would be. When at the Burrow, Ron and Ginny abided by the unspoken rule of the house that Molly’s word was law and what ever she said went, now she was sharing their world at the school things were different to say the least. The first week went smoothly enough as her younger children were on their best behaviour and desperately trying to smooth their mother’s transition to the school, the second week was a little rockier as they began to relax slightly while Molly became more caught up in the needs of the three orphans in their care and then by the start of the third week all bets were off and they had lapsed completely into their school personas.

Molly had found to her consternation that Ron especially had no intention of allowing his mother the free reign over his life she enjoyed in the holidays. Her youngest son took his duties to his house and as Head Boy seriously and allowed nothing, not even his beloved mother, to stand between him and what he considered the correct course of action to be. The first real trouble had started when Molly had removed all weapons from the bedrooms and training room whilst the eight teenagers were at classes one day and they had arrived back in the late afternoon to find all their religiously cared for arms locked in cupboard in Molly’s room and the woman herself firmly insisting that they would not be released unless there was a dire emergency. Ron, Harry, even Draco, had tried fruitlessly to reason with Molly until Ron had finally lost his temper and a truly awesome argument had blown up that had ended with him blowing the doors of the ancient cupboard with one furious slash of his wand and snatching armfuls of weapons out from under his livid mother’s nose. The bitter row had lasted all evening until Ron had informed his mother that all weapons would be kept in the locked training room from now on in deference to the safety of the three youngest members of their house, aside from an axe and a short sword that Kit and Connor elected to keep with them, but she was on no account to go step foot inside or even think about taking the weapons again without express permission from himself or one of the others.

While Molly had opened and shut her mouth in wordless fury at Ron’s high-handed manner he had then stared at her calmly and stated that in all matters to do with the Eight and their role in the war to come, he was in charge and she would follow his orders unless she wanted him to go to Professor Dumbledore and request the immediate removal of herself, Liz and the children to another part of the castle. When Molly had turned to Ginny and then Harry and Hermione she found a blank wall of support for Ron’s determined statement and not an ounce of give or guilt in their set faces. Dawn, Kit, Connor and Draco had stood by the stairs watching quietly and had turned without so much as a glance in Molly’s direction as Ron ordered them upstairs for training and silently filed out of the room.

Although in front of Liz and Molly a united front was maintained by all the teenagers, in private they had their own problems. Kit and Dawn were trying to come to terms with the loss of Carlos and find a new ground for their friendship that had previously always had a third to turn to when they began to grate on each other. Harry and Ron were finding it hard to accept the sudden change in circumstances that enabled them to find themselves living and reluctantly socialising with Draco Malfoy and were struggling find some common ground other than their nightly Quidditch matches that were fast ceasing to be sporting events and descending into bloody free-for-alls. Hermione was working herself into the ground alongside Ginny and Dawn searching for some way to help bring Xander home and was also becoming more and more confused about her secret trysts with Ron that seemed to be spiralling rapidly past the friendship boundaries and heading deep into the unknown waters of a proper relationship.

Ginny and Draco, despite the night that they had vowed to start fresh, spent their time avoiding each other or, when they were forced to be in the same room, acting with stilted politeness and dancing around like scalded cats. Draco, when not trying to knock his fellow housemates off their brooms or actively avoiding them, spent his time either brooding about his sudden change in fortunes or training till he was literally too tired to stand with Connor and Dawn. His assault on his former house members had done him no favours when it had become known to the rest of the school, and he also had to contend with the whole of Slytherin house determined to make him pay for his betrayal of them. In three weeks he had found himself defending himself no less than twenty-three times in various ways and was becoming increasingly twisted and bitter at his new life.

Connor was the one that seemed outwardly to be coping the best but inside it was a very different story. His hopes of exploring his new physical relationship with Dawn had taking a severe battering thanks to the additions of Liz and Molly to the house and he was forced to resign himself to brief, snatched moments in the Owlery with his mate that only seemed to intensify the cravings inside him for Dawn’s body. He was still lagging behind his housemates in his schoolwork and under constant surveillance from Molly as she tried to raise his grades, but the real problem was that although he trained religiously every day there was absolutely no possibility of being able to use his skills in any practical way while confined to the school grounds. He lived every day with a constant nagging itch between his shoulder blades as he tried to suppress the need for some demonic slaying action and it was becoming harder and harder to suppress the wildness that clawed at his heart.

All in all Durus Cateanus was not a comfortable place to reside and when things came to a head one night in late November it came as a huge relief to all concerned. The night had started innocently enough. It had just turned nine o’clock and the house were gathered in the common room as the Eight sweated their way through their various pieces of homework, Liz gave the baby it’s last feed of the night, now known to be a three month old girl called Sara, and Molly cleared up the last of the debris from the day’s activities from Roberto and Luca the two young brothers. Connor and Kit sat side by side as they ploughed their disgruntled way through three pages of algebra, both scowling in deep thought as on the desk next to them Draco and Dawn worked their way through a particularly difficult memory altering potion that Professor Snape had set them that day. Hermione had finished hers an hour before and was now occupied in her arithmancy homework but, being Hermione, couldn’t resist giving Draco smug tips every now and then. “I think you might have added a little too much motherwort there, Draco.”

Draco gritted his teeth at the tenth interruption in as many minutes and snarled. “Granger, when I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it.” His scowl deepened as the mixture in the cauldron turned a rather vicious shade of green and not the soothing cream it was meant to.

Dawn looked into the cauldron and then at Draco’s tight expression. She wisely held her tongue and instead reached for the cauldron to dispose of its contents before starting over for the fifth time that night. Harry nudged Ron with a smirk as Dawn walked to the window and tipped the mixture out into the frigid air. “Looks like Mr Top-Of-His-Class is having a bit of trouble.”

Ron looked up from his wildly inaccurate predictions chart he was hurriedly cobbling together for Professor Trelawney before starting his own potions work. “Tut, tut, Super-Snake’s slipping.”

Draco ground his teeth at the supercilious comments and slapped the packet of dried rose leaves in Dawn’s waiting hand. “A pinch of that.” He watched as she reached into the bag and then slapped at her hand in annoyance. “A pinch, not a bloody handful!”

Dawn slammed the packet of dead flowers down on the desk where it promptly exploded in a shower of dust and dry pollen. “Don’t damn well hit me.” She smacked his arm in retaliation. “If you know so much, you do it!”

Draco brushed angrily at the flakes of rose petals clinging to his robes and shoved Dawn back a pace. “Well I can’t now, can I? Thanks to your cack-handedness I’ve got to bloody traipse all the way down to stores if we want to get this sodding potion done tonight.”

Dawn’s mouth fell open in outrage. “Me?! You’re the one who blew up the first potion with too much lavender.” She shoved back at him. “Jerk!”

“Idiot!” Draco shoved Dawn harder than he intended and she stumbled back and crashed into the sofa back where Liz was seated with Sara on her knee as she tried to burp the baby. A high-pitched scream from the child announced her transition from milky sleepiness to wide-awake fury, Draco threw up his hands.

“Now look what you’ve done, the bloody thing will be going all night now.”

Connor got to his feet. “Take it easy, you guys.” He gritted his teeth as Sara reached new heights of high-pitched cries. “You just startled her is all.”

Liz put the baby to her shoulder and turned in her seat to glare at Dawn and Draco behind her. “Well thank you very much, this is all I needed.” She flinched as a small flailing fist caught her in the eye. “Just marvellous.”

Dawn stabbed an accusing finger at Draco. “Hey, this had nothing to do with me, it’s all his fault.”

“If you weren’t such a complete imbecile than I would have been finished hours ago and happily tucked up in bed and away from this bloody insanity.” Draco clutched at the sides of his head with desperate hands. “I can’t fucking hear myself think.”

“Watch your language, Draco!” Molly bustled forward and took the screaming baby from Liz’s tense arms. “The children might hear.”

Draco swung around to glare at the tired looking Molly. “If I want to fucking swear I fucking will, you old bat, you’re not my mother, thank Merlin…” He drew breath to continue but was blindsided by Ron and Harry as they launched themselves at him with enraged yells and took him to the floor in a struggling, furious heap. Connor flung himself at the three boys as Ron’s fist caught Draco right on the jaw and he wrapped his arms around the Head Boy’s bigger body to drag him off as Draco lashed out and clipped Harry round the side of the head to send his glasses flying across the room.

Hermione stood up with a horrified cry. “Stop it, just stop it!” She hurried forward with Dawn. “If you’d have just listened to me in the first place about the potion then all of this could have been avoided.”

“Will you shut the hell up about that goddamn potion.” Dawn pushed past Hermione, uncaring that she sent her friend stumbling. “If you hadn’t been so smug about it then none of this would have happened.”

Hermione recovered her balance and grabbed Dawn’s arm angrily. “Well if you and your precious Draco weren’t so bloody pig-headed then you’d listen when someone who obviously knows what they’re doing tries to help you.”

Dawn tugged her arm free. “And what’s THAT supposed to mean? Just because you’ve finally got some real competition in the school work stakes now…”

“HIM?” Hermione flushed a brilliant scarlet and screeched. “Don’t make me laugh. We all know he’s cheated his way into those marks.”

Draco scrambled up from the floor and managed to kick Harry while he did it. “I did NOT.” He stumbled backwards as Harry came up swinging and cracked his head on a low hung book shelve. “Fuck it!”

“Stop swearing!” Molly watched aghast as the children in her care descended into a shoving, shouting, livid mass of frustrated emotion. “Just stop it!”

Liz got up from the sofa and threw up her hands. “Oh, like they listen to you.” She put her hands on her hips and mimicked Molly’s higher voice. “’Get to know your daughter, the fate of the world is at stake.’ HA! Well thanks to you I’m stuck in this…this…madhouse with ghosts and babies and dangerous, reckless teenagers that wouldn’t know discipline if it jumped up and bit them on the ass!”

Molly juggled the purple-faced baby in her arms and stared in amazement at the other woman. “This is my fault?” She poked Liz in her sweater-covered chest. “And discipline? At least I knew where my children are at night which is more than could be said for you!”

Ginny gasped and stopped trying to intervene between the screaming Dawn and Hermione. “Mum!”

Kit whipped round from where she was trying to pull Harry off of Draco. “Don’t you speak to my mom like that!”

Ginny glared at Kit. “Hey, your mum is the one putting all the blame on mine. I think it’s about time she stopped bloody whining on about her crappy life and making a bit more of an effort around here. I don’t see her getting up and doing the early feeds with the kids.”

Kit’s pale face flushed angrily. “Because your mom is a complete control freak!” She crossed her arms and spat. “Just because my mom isn’t lazy enough to do everything with a wave of her magic wand.”

Ginny laughed snidely. “Because she can’t, you mean.”

Kit gasped. “You bitch!” And things went rapidly downhill from there.

  
  
  


* * *

When Professor Dumbledore knocked at the door to the common room some ten minutes later, the elderly wizard that guarded the entrance nodded affably at the Headmaster. “I wouldn’t interrupt just yet if I were you.” He glanced back over his shoulder in the direction of the common room as the sound of a crash and angry shouts came from inside the room. “They’re a bit busy.”

Dumbledore’s brows rose as he recognised one shrill voice from inside the room as Molly Weasley’s, although the door muffled the actual words. “Dear me, what is going on?”

The heavy portrait rattled as something heavy crashed against it from the other side and the wizard looked slightly perturbed. “They were having a reasonably civil argument but now it just sounds like bloody murder.” He peered at Dumbledore through watery blue eyes. “I should get the house-elves up here if I were you, I’ll bet there’ll be a fair bit to clean up.”

Dumbledore’s eyebrows went higher as he caught the unmistakable screech of Hermione Granger’s voice echo through the three foot thick stone wall and, due to her trademark crisp pronunciation, was able to hear exactly what she was screaming Dawn Summers could do with her opinions on Hermione’s work ethic. “Goodness me, open this door immediately.”

The portrait wizard rocked backwards and forwards in his chair and moved a little closer to the fire that was crackling in his grate. “Sorry, chum, need the password.”

Dumbledore blinked and then swelled with righteous dignity. “I happen to be the Headmaster of this school and I order you to open this door immediately.”

The old wizard leaned his elbows on his spread knees and leaned forward to eye Dumbledore up and down as another huge crash made his frame shake. “And I happen to be guarding the Eight. I don’t care if you’re Merlin, Godric Gryffindor and that bloody upstart Volder-whatsit all rolled into one, sonny; you’re not getting past me without a password, alright?”

“Whilst I applaud your sense of duty, misguided as it may be, I really must insist you open this door.” Dumbledore’s eyes snapped with annoyance behind his half-moon spectacles and his beard quivered with agitation. “Immediately.”

The old wizard leaned back in his chair and remembered an expression the brown-haired girl with the strange accent had used when she had been arguing with her boyfriend just the other day. “Bite me.”

Dumbledore’s mouth dropped open. “I beg your pardon?” He hammered on the portrait frame angrily. “Open this door right now or…OW!”

The portrait wizard snickered most irritatingly as his heavy frame smashed into Dumbledore’s kneecap and the dignified Headmaster was reduced to hopping up and down on one leg while he rubbed the afflicted area. “Looks like you got lucky, boy. Someone knocked the handle on the other side.”

The Headmaster ignored the laughing portrait, paused on the threshold of the common room and for once was completely at a loss for words. The male half of Durus Cateanus were still rolling around on the floor, fists flailing and screaming obscene insults at the top of their voices as they battered each other. Dawn and Hermione were standing nose to nose with each other and didn’t look that far off following the boys’ example as they strove to out shout each other and Liz, Molly, Kit and Ginny were engaged in a three way argument completely disregarding the howling baby still clutched Molly’s arms

Dumbledore shook himself and bellowed. “SILENCE!” He glared around himself as the other occupants of the room completely ignored his order and whipped out his wand. “Quietus.” The cacophony of noise abruptly left the room and one by one the quarrelling people stopped what they were doing and turned angry faces towards the glowering Headmaster. Professor Dumbledore nodded sharply. “Thank you. Now, whilst you all take a moment to calm yourselves, I suggest that you take the baby and try and settle her down, Molly.” Molly blinked and looked startled as she glanced down at the writhing figure in her arms and then a deep flush of shame stained her cheeks as she realised she had completely forgotten the infant in the heat of her anger. Dumbledore glared as she scuttled past and disappeared back to the quarters she shared with Liz and the children and then turned his furious eyes on the rest of the room as they fell back from their antagonising positions and clambered up from the floor. “As for the rest of you, sit down.” His eyebrows snapped together warningly as Draco gave Ron a shove to get him moving. “That is enough, Draco!”

The teenagers spaced themselves around the sofas and chairs with resentful looks and rigid bodies, scowling at Professor Dumbledore as he strode across the room and planted himself in front of the roaring fire. Liz stalked across to Draco and Dawn’s abandoned cauldron and began to clear up the ingredients that had been scattered with a lot of unnecessary banging. Dumbledore looked at the mutinous faces all around him and sighed as Dawn and Hermione caught each other’s eyes and then pointedly turned their backs on each other with a roll of their eyes and arms tightly folded across their chests. “Right, now if we can all please remember we’re adults and not common goblins than I shall lift the spell.” Dumbledore caught Harry’s bleeding eye and glared. “Alright?”

The-Boy-Who-Lived glared back at his mentor and then his lip jutted out in a sulky pout as he scowled at Connor, nursing a split lip. “Connor? Ron?” Dumbledore’s voice was thick with strained patience as he looked at the other boys. “Are we agreed?”

It took a moment but he received reluctant nods from all concerned and aware that was the best he was probably going to get, Dumbledore waved his wand again and muttered. “Sonorous.” The regret arrived almost as quickly as everyone found their voices and began yelling at each other again. “SILENCE!” Breathing hard the Headmaster raised a threatening finger. “Just one more word and I will bind the lot of you until this time next week.” He stared meaningfully at Draco as the boy’s mouth opened rebelliously. “And leave you in Hagrid’s cottage to be cared for, I understand Fang isn’t completely house-trained.” Draco’s mouth snapped shut and he subsided with a huff of angry air.

Slipping his wand back inside his robes, Dumbledore tucked his hands inside his sleeves and looked around the tight faces all studying the floor or ceiling and then at Liz still banging away over by the desk. “Mrs Horvath?” Liz picked up the empty cauldron and moved it an inch to the right with a loud crash. “Mrs Horvath, I would be obliged if you would please come over here and tell me exactly what has been going on here this evening.” Dumbledore winced as Liz moved the cauldron back to its original position with another tinny crash. “And if you could cease clearing up for a few moments you would have my eternal gratitude.” His only answer was a loud clatter as Liz apparently decided the cauldron would in fact look better on the top right hand corner of the desk. Dumbledore turned as he heard footfalls behind him and Molly hurried back out of her quarters, her eyes met his in embarrassment and then narrowed as she stuck out her chin defiantly. “Molly, perhaps you’d like to explain what is going on?” Molly crossed her arms and sat with a heavy thump in the last available armchair, looking for the entire world like the equally sulky Ginny, albeit thirty or so years older.

Dumbledore, wishing heartily that he’d stayed in his cosy office or better yet never heard of Hogwarts School, tried again. “Will someone please explain what on earth has happened here?” A determined, sulky silence was maintained by all guilty parties along with some rather impressive pouts and scowls and Dumbledore threw up his hands in exasperation. “Fine. You children go and put on some warm clothing, the Aurors have raised the alarm that there may be some unwanted parties on school grounds and we need all the help we can get in finding them before they do any damage.” When the eight teenagers looked blankly at the Headmaster he snapped his fingers irritably. “Now, children, now!”

Connor jumped to his feet. “Thank God.” He stomped towards the stairs. “Finally some action.”

Dumbledore watched the exodus of the Eight and then turned a stern eye on the two mothers, both pointedly ignoring the other. “And perhaps while the children are helping outside one of you might be persuaded to tell me what has happened here?” His face creased in disapproval as Molly and Liz sniffed in unison and turned to face opposite walls and finished dryly. “If you could first remember you are grown adults and not teenagers yourselves, of course.”

  
  


* * *

Connor led the highly disgruntled procession down the school steps and towards the group of Aurors that stood before the school holding flickering torches. A tall black man stepped forward and nodded to Harry. “The Headmaster found you then?” Kingsley Shacklebolt gestured back to his fellow Aurors and continued in his deep voice. “We’re not sure what tripped the alarms but we think that something’s entered the Forbidden Forest that shouldn’t be there. We’re just trying to cast a spell to let us know what we’re dealing with and…”

Connor sniffed the frigid air. “Demons. At least five, maybe more. Come on.” He turned without another glance at the open-mouthed Kingsley and stamped off into the night.

Dawn shrugged at the confused Aurors. “Don’t ask.” She turned with a flick of her hair and followed Connor.

Kit and Ginny glared at each other and followed Dawn as Hermione sniffed in annoyance. “I hate it when they do that. This is precisely how they nearly died last time.” She took a firmer grip on the wand and sword she held in either hand. “But does anybody listen to me? Oh no.”

Ron waved a casual hand at Kingsley and followed his girl as Harry scowled at Kingsley. “Bad night. We’ll be back in a while, don’t go into the forest, just guard the castle.”

Draco paused before reluctantly following his housemates. “Make sure someone draws me a hot bath before we get back and I want some kind of snack before turning in, as well.”

Kingsley stared in astonishment at the departing backs and protested. “Dumbledore didn’t say anything about you going off alone. Oi, get back here, you don’t know what’s in there!” His voice rose as the back of Draco’s head disappeared into the night. “And I’m not your bloody servant, boy.” He turned to his companions. “Get that damn spell working before they get themselves eaten.”

  
  


* * *

Connor marched into the Forbidden Forest like he owned it and glared around himself as he sniffed the air. “That way.” He didn’t bother waiting for the others to acknowledge his order and stomped off into the trees.

“Who died and made him boss?” Ron swung his heavy axe into a tree with a thunk and scowled. “I’m the bloody Head Boy around here.”

Draco pushed past with a sneer. “No, really? Well bugger me, I’d never have guessed the way you go throwing your great carcass around and issuing your little edicts. Prat.”

Harry managed to catch Draco a sharp slap to the back of his head. “Shut up, Malfoy. A bit jealous someone else is calling the shots now are we?”

Draco snorted. “Look who’s talking. Must really rankle that you’re not number one saviour of the world, anymore. How’s that sharing of the glory thing coming along, bit of a work in progress I’m guessing?”

“You know Harry’s never been like that, you pig.” Hermione took her eyes off the still trees around them and glared at Draco. “He never wanted all the glory.”

“Unlike someone I could mention.” Dawn shoved Hermione aside with more force than strictly necessary. “And for someone who’s meant to be so clever, it hasn’t occurred to you that yelling at the top of your voice isn’t the smartest move when we’re on the hunt?”

Hermione gasped. “You cow! And you’re yelling just as loud as I am.”

Kit stepped up to Dawn’s side. “She grew up on a Hellmouth, she knows how to take care of herself.”

“Oh and we don’t?” Ginny joined Hermione and glared at the dark-haired muggle. “We’re just poor little helpless witches that are too lazy to take care of ourselves without our wands, I suppose?”

Kit cocked an eyebrow and some of her kiss-my-ass high school personality shone through. “Well you said it.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Great. I’m in a pitch-black wood with a load of screeching women and Pansy Potter and his incredible talking carrot, whilst Merlin knows what is out there looking for blood. Just perfect.”

Harry raised a threatening fist. “One more word out of you, Malfoy and I’ll forget I’m a wizard and give you the arse-kicking of a lifetime.”

Draco opened his mouth to reply but before he could get the first syllable out an unearthly howl shook the trees around them. His mouth shut with a sharp click as Hermione looked around nervously. “What was that?”

Dawn rolled her eyes. “A nice fluffy kitten, what do you think? Doofus.”

Hermione stopped peering nervously around and narrowed her eyes at Dawn. “If you speak to me like that again, I shall turn you into a frog.” She looked her friend up and down. “Although with those bulging eyes of yours, you’re already half way there.”

Hermione was fortunately saved from having the supercilious smirk slapped from her face by an enraged Dawn when Connor hurtled out from between the trees, yelling triumphantly. “Found them!” He skidded to a halt by a startled Draco and bounced in anticipation. “And there’s at least seven of them, great huh?”

Draco clutched his wand tightly and raised the shining sword in his other hand. “You have the strangest definitions of fun.” The hair on the back of his neck rose as another unearthly howl shook the wood around them, but this time much closer. “And did you have to bring them back here? I thought you were some sort of great warrior, couldn’t you have taken care of it yourself?”

All eight teenagers looked around as a sharp splintering sound announced the death of a thirty-foot high oak tree as it was shoved carelessly to the ground and the arrival of one of the biggest beings any of them had ever seen. Connor looked at the misshapen mass of flesh lumbering towards them and shook his head. “Nope.” He raised his trusty axe as Dawn cursed fluidly off to his left and added. “And that’s the smallest. I think it’s the baby.”

Draco’s lip curled back as he pictured the infant currently residing in his house and that had brought up its breakfast all over his boots the day before. “I hate babies.” He raised his wand. “This thing is going to die.”

  
  
  


* * *

When Kingsley led his Aurors into the new clearing just five minutes later it was to find all of Durus Cateanus covered head to foot with demon guts and slime and slipping haphazardly through steaming entrails as they clambered over several huge carcasses searching for dropped weapons and Harry’s glasses. The tension that had hung like a palpable cloud over them when they had strode down the steps from the castle had dissipated, despite their disturbing surroundings and, from what he could see under the demon ick, they looked tired but much more relaxed.

Kit made a sound of triumph as she rummage in the depths of a grotesque demon thigh wound. “Got ‘em.” Kingsley fought to hold onto his dinner as she waved something small and dripping with blood in the air over her head. “I think they might need a clean though.”

Harry turned and made his unfocused way over to Kit. “Great.” He didn’t see the large foot that splayed across his path and went down flat on his face much to Draco’s highly vocal amusement. “Dammit.”

Kit bent and helped him to his feet, trying without success to clean his gore-covered glasses with her equally gore soaked jacket. “You ok?” She peered at the smeared lenses in her hand doubtfully and shrugged apologetically at Harry. “I think you’re gonna need a bit more than soap and water to get this off.”

Dawn put her hands on her sticky hips and rolled her sore shoulders. “Has anyone seen my crossbow? I put it down on Daddy demon and now I can’t find it.” She kicked the body that topped her by a good foot even lying prone and bleeding on the ground. “I think the damn thing ate it.”

Hermione yelped as she tripped over a decapitated arm and found herself having to keep her balance by catching hold of a large nearly severed ear. Then the ear tore away from its owner’s head under her weight and she pitched face forward into a pool of cooling brains. “Aaaargh!” Shaking with disgust she scrambled to her feet and scrubbed frantically at her face. “Oh god, get it off me, get it off me!”

“WHAT DID YOU DO?” Kingsley’s voice boomed out and startled poor Harry enough that he jumped and lost his footing to go down into a spreading puddle of black blood with a loud squelch. “What did you do?”

Ginny couldn’t help the giggle that burst from her lips at the Auror’s bulging eyes and horrified face. “That should be our house motto.” The laughter died from her eyes as someone within the crowd of Aurors muttered ‘Lumos’ and a golden glow illuminated the scene and the frightened looks on the faces all around them. “Oh dear.”

Ron waved a cheery hand and stepped forward, frowning when the battle-hardened Aurors nearest him fell back and one of them made a sound suspiciously like a whimper. “It’s alright, everything’s sorted now.” He followed one man’s eyes to the top of his axe that he held in his hand and jumped as he saw the huge eyeball caught there. “Bloody hell. Sorry.”

Kingsley stared at the one by one at the young people grouped around the dead bodies and shivered suddenly as he realised that they honestly had no idea just how wrong things were that they had killed a group of demons by themselves in under ten minutes. In fact one of the boys was still enthusiastically battering at a definitely dead head with a rock and muttering to himself while he did it. Dawn turned to see what had the Auror so mesmerised and then rolled her eyes. “Connor, I think you got him, sweetie.”

Connor glanced up at the sound of his name and stepped back to look at his handiwork in consideration. “You think?” He poked hopefully with his foot at the sizeable crater he had created. “I’m sure he just moved.”

Draco wandered past on his way to casually look over Ginny whilst pretending to clean his sword on his ruined robe. “When you can see what passes for brain I think it’s a safe bet that the thing won’t be getting up again.”

Connor tossed his rock away and muttering darkly. “You’d be surprised.”

“How…” Kingsley cleared his throat and tried again. “How did you do this? This isn’t possible.”

Dawn brushed ineffectively at the streaks of blood that dripped down her jacket and scowled as they remained stubbornly attached to the material. “Sure it is.” She gave the jacket up as a bad job and gestured with one slimy hand. “Connor jumped that one and cut its throat. Draco blew that one up, Harry and Ron double-teamed that one and hit it with that one’s leg when Ginny chopped it off. Hermione stunned that one and then cut its head off and me and Kit jumped that one and cut its arm off and then cut its heart out when it was all confused.” She sucked in a lungful of air and stared thoughtfully at a body lying some way from the rest. “Not sure who got that one.”

Draco, Ron, Harry, Hermione and Connor all raised a hand each. “I did.” There was a confused silence and then Hermione huffed. “I levitated a sword through its heart.”

Connor glared at her. “That was you? Thanks a lot; I nearly put my eye out when I cut its throat.”

Draco sniffed. “Yes, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciated having a dagger erupt through the side of the thing’s head when I was trying to cut it off.”

Ron and Harry exchanged an annoyed look and Ron said scathingly. “Which you wouldn’t have had to do if you had just waited another couple of seconds while we eviscerated the damn thing. Pillock.”

Draco opened his mouth to reply and was drowned out by a pain-filled howl as the body in question heaved when the demon tried to climb to its feet. As the Aurors shouted with surprise Ginny whipped her wand down and shouted. “Absumo!” There was a loud bang and then chunks of meat rained down into the clearing. Ginny nodded with satisfaction. “I killed it.” She looked pointedly at Kit. “Not so bad for a bone-idle magic user, eh?”

Kit wiped her face with her sleeve and grinned wryly at Ginny’s smug face. “I guess not.” She scraped a piece of dead flesh from her arm with a grimace of distaste and added dryly. “Although I’m not saying there isn’t room for improvement.”

  
  
  


* * *

Professor Dumbledore surveyed the faces before him, now mercifully clean of all things bloody and sticky and pursed his lips thoughtfully. Although the children had arrived back at their house in considerably better spirits than when they had stormed out, there was a slight air of tension about them once more with none of the affectionate teasing he realised he always associated with them. He cut his eyes to the side where Liz and Molly were sipping hot cups of tea and trying to get over the shock they had gotten when their charges had trooped back into the common room looking like they had gone for a midnight swim in an abattoir. The Headmaster watched the two women for a long moment, aware his next words would be ill received to say the least, and then looked back at the teenagers lounging before the fire. “I don’t believe this situation can be allowed to continue.”

He watched carefully as they all tensed and allowed himself a tiny sigh of relief that things were not as bad as they appeared. Although undeniably on edge with each other there was no doubt that all their attention was now directed at himself and they were united in their sudden wariness of his next words. Hiding a smile in his beard Dumbledore looked sternly along the row of faces. “From what I witnessed tonight there is a severe problem within your ranks and this must be attended to, it simply cannot be allowed to continue. You turned on each other, your heads of house and you did so viciously and without restraint. I will not tolerate such behaviour in this school.”

Dawn squirmed uncomfortably. “It was just a bad night, Professor, things got out of hand.” She darted an apologetic look at Hermione. “We didn’t mean anything by it.”

Hermione met Dawn’s eyes and, after a pause, smiled and nodded in agreement. “That’s right, sir. It won’t happen again.”

“I wish I could believe that, Hermione.” Dumbledore clasped his hands behind his back and shook his head at Ron as he tried to speak. “I haven’t finished yet, Ron. The fault is mine, but it was made with the best of intentions and I apologise unreservedly for the distress it has caused.” Now the centre of everyone’s puzzled attentions Dumbledore took a breath and said firmly. “I thought of Hogwarts as your sanctuary but I’m very much afraid it is becoming your prison. I look at you as students, gifted and remarkable students, but students none-the-less and I have been made very aware by tonight’s events that this was a grave error. There is no doubt that there is still much you can learn from this school and it’s staff but there are also certain needs that we cannot meet. None of us know exactly how strong the power you might wield together is but I think it is fairly safe to say that an enhancement of your more primal urges is almost definitely a consequence of your joining.” As he chose his next words the old wizard began to pace slowly in front of the fire. “I believe that the usual control you have over your emotions has been effected by the power that is beginning to stir in each of you and it is becoming harder to control the baser instincts within. The basis of your particular prophesy is that you are warriors, soldiers of the side of good to be sure, but most definitely warriors and the need we all have to keep you safe is, unfortunately, no longer practical or enforceable. If you are not allowed to explore your powers and their limits then I fear that one day soon there may come a time when you are unable to control yourselves and a tragedy may occur.”

Harry’s mouth dropped open in wounded astonishment. “You’re saying you think we’re dangerous?”

Dumbledore peered over the top of his half-moon glasses and sighed. “Harry, you just killed seven preternatural beings without gaining so much as a scratch between you and you did it without even breaking stride.” He ignored the smug look that passed between Draco and Connor. “Yes, I think you are dangerous, together I think you may possibly be the most powerful force our world has ever seen.”

Ron darted a look at his mother and then looked back at his Headmaster. “Blimey.”

Connor glanced at Draco and chuckled. “On the upside, at least we know you’re not turning muggle.”

Draco scowled at the muffled sniggers from his housemates at his now legendary remark and replied scathingly. “No, apparently I’m now a bloodthirsty psychopath with no control over my emotions or actions. Fantastic.”

Harry muttered sotto voice in an aside to Ron. “No change there then.”

Hermione leaned forward with an earnest look on her face and ignored the peanut gallery. “Sir, we would never hurt an innocent being. What ever happened here tonight was just the result of being cooped up with no one but each other all the time and the stress of the current situation.”

Dumbledore smiled at her reassuringly. “Hermione, I am not saying that you would ever intentionally hurt anyone, but the fact remains that you are all undergoing certain changes and you need help dealing with that. Can you honestly say before you left the Gryffindors you would have been so confident in engaging such clearly dangerous opponents?”

All heads turned as Molly sniffed. “I think you’re forgetting who you’re talking to, Albus. These are the same children that went waltzing off to Albania last term, after all.”

Dawn and Connor grinned as Dumbledore coughed. “Quite so.” He pretended not to see Molly’s glare and Ron and Harry’s proud grins and carried on. “But the fact remains that you need more than what you are getting from your present situation. I propose that you be allowed to act in an advisory and martial capacity where your studies permit in conjunction with the efforts that are being made in London by the Ministry. I feel that expecting you to prepare endlessly for a battle that may not even come for many months may be counter-productive to all our best interests.”

A small silence followed the old wizard’s announcement then Connor looked quizzically at Dawn. “What did he just say?”

Dawn, well used to older English gentlemen saying with a hundred words what they could say in less than ten, translated. “Before we all go off like rockets they’re gonna set us loose on the bad guys. We can go kill demons again.”

Connor nodded. “Oh.” He gave Dumbledore the thumbs up. “Good idea.”

Liz stood and crossed to rest her trembling hands on Kit’s shoulders. “You’re deliberately putting them in danger?” She turned to Molly for support. “Surely you can see how crazy this sounds?”

Molly looked at her children for long moments and then switched her resigned gaze to Liz’s. “Yes, I can. But I don’t think we have a lot of choice.” She hugged herself tightly as she murmured miserably. “I don’t think any of us do.”

Kit clasped her mother’s hand tightly in hers and raised imploring eyes. “Mom, try to understand, I have to do this.” She chewed her lip thoughtfully for a moment and then continued. “The professor’s right, I do feel different. It’s like there’s been this huge pressure building for weeks and I didn’t know how to cap it off, but tonight in the forest all that pressure went away the minute I went into battle.” She smiled tremulously. “Not to sound all Psycho-Gal but I think I need to be slaying if I’m gonna make it through this sane.”

Liz looked at her daughter’s pale face and whispered. “You could be hurt, killed…”

Connor raised a tentative hand. “The chances of that are a lot higher if we don’t learn how to fight together for real instead of just training with the dummies and the wooden weapons. You can try all you like to simulate the feel of a battle when you spar but nothing compares to the reality of the situation.” He smiled apologetically at Liz and Molly. “When the final showdown does come, we’ll all stand a much better chance of surviving it if we have some solid experience under our belts.”

“Kit…Oh God, I hate this.” Liz tightened her hands possessively on Kit and then reluctantly let them slip away as she gave a shaky nod. “Ok, ok, just…be careful. Please.”

Ginny smiled warmly. “Absolutely. Careful is our middle name.” She flushed as everyone eyed her silently and added. “Well it could be.”

Dawn snorted. “Yeah, if we weren’t us.”

Dumbledore clapped his hands together. “Very well. I shall owl your parents in the morning and inform them of the situation. For now I suggest you go to bed and get some rest.”

Draco made to stand up and then collapsed with a moan. “Love to, unfortunately there’s still the matter of our homework to be considered.” He stared thoughtfully at the floor for a moment before glancing impishly at Hermione. “Unless Granger wants to prove just how superior she is and do everyone’s for them.”

Hermione looked startled at the teasing note in Draco’s voice and then snorted. “Not a hope, mate.”

Dumbledore beamed as Dawn muttered something to Ginny and Kit that had them giggling and Ron and Harry both threw a cushion at Draco. “I think under the circumstances I might have a word with your teachers and get you all a twenty-four hour extension.” He wagged a finger. “Just this once, mind.”

Some good-natured moans, and in Draco’s case some rather bitter expletives, were heard as the Eight said goodnight to Molly and Liz and then began to troop up the stairs to bed. Kit and Dawn were the last two to go up and Kit muttered to her friend under her breath. “You’d think now we’ve been hailed as the saviours of the world we might at least get a little extra grade credit.”

Dawn sighed wearily. “Never gonna happen. We’ll be shovelling the mud on Voldemort’s grave and they’ll still be some smart-ass wanting to know why we’re five minutes late with our book reports.”

Kit pouted gloomily. “Figures. And I thought Hellmouth High was bad.”


	32. Chapter Twenty-Seven

In the first week of December, shortly after a riotous Thanksgiving, Anya Harris woke up most unexpectedly in the middle of one of her daily medical examinations. The first Dawn knew of the situation was when a junior medical witch burst into the seventh year DADA lesson and collapsed in a shuddering heap behind Professor Snape’s desk whimpering in terror and trying to communicate the horror of the demon that was currently tearing up the hospital wing. Without waiting for Snape to formally excuse her, Dawn leapt up and vaulted three desks in her haste to get out of the door with the rest of her house in hot pursuit. Dawn and Connor led the charge through the empty school corridors, waving to acknowledge Hermione’s shout that she was going to get Ginny from her Charms lesson before running straight through Nearly Headless Nick and the Bloody Baron as they floated around a corner and leaving the two ghosts shouting furiously after them.

The shouts and screams could be heard a good hundred yards from the infirmary and Dawn forced her feet to move even faster as a high-pitched yell sounded accompanied by a loud crash. “Anya!” Dawn swung herself round the doorframe and burst into the large medical wing. “Anya, don’t kill anyone!”

Anya, resplendent in full demon face and backless hospital gown, turned at the sound of her name and threw the man she held by the neck to the floor with a growl. “Dawnie?”

Dawn jumped over the prone figure of Madam Pomfrey on the floor, mouth agape with shock, and flung herself into Anya’s outstretched arms. “You’re awake!” She pressed her smooth cheek to Anya’s rough one and wrapped her arms around the demon’s neck tightly. “Thank God, you’re awake.”

Anya returned the hug enthusiastically and waved Kit over as the other girl pushed past Draco and Connor. “Yes. I am also still pregnant. Where is everyone and who are all these people?” She leaned back in Dawn’s embrace and eyed her suspiciously. “If I ask where I am, am I going to like the answer?” Her eyes fell on the medi-witches and wizards picking themselves up off the floor and she scowled. “I don’t want these people touching me. I woke up and they had taken my panties and were doing something most intrusive with a wooden stick.”

Dawn blinked, tried to block out the gagging noise from Draco behind her and chose to ignore Anya’s annoyed comment. “You shouldn’t be exerting yourself like this, you’re still weak. Get back into bed and I’ll explain everything.” She looked over her shoulder as Hermione and Ginny ran breathlessly into the room and skidded to a halt beside Harry and Ron and said in relief. “Will you let Ginny check you over? She’s one of us.”

Anya eyed the gasping redhead and nodded shortly. “Yes, I remember her from Sunnydale. She slapped me and was most efficient in her manner.” Her dark eyes narrowed at the medi-witches all around her climbing to their feet. “I don’t find the service offered by these people acceptable at all. They refused to bring Buffy and the others to me and would not tell me where I was and what I was doing here. I wish to make a customer complaint. They took my panties.”

Dawn giggled as she slipped an arm around Anya’s much-expanded waistline and guided her back to bed whilst making sure she blocked the view of the likewise much expanded butt wiggling through the gap in the gown. “Gotcha. We’ll get the head honcho in ASAP. You’re at our school; you’ve been sleeping for about a month so you and the baby could heal. You hungry?”

Anya huffed with effort as she boosted herself up onto the bed and nodded as Dawn and Kit smoothed the covers back over her legs. “Yes, I believe I would appreciate some fresh chicken gizzards and hot sauce.” She clasped Dawn’s hand tightly in hers as the demon face melted away and her human one came forth. “I remember that…that…Xander…”

Dawn gripped Anya’s hand tightly in between her own and said fiercely. “Is coming back. Ahn. He’s lost, not dead, we’re bringing him back.”

Anya leaned back on her high pillows and closed her exhausted eyes. “I remember him falling and the pain from the baby…” Her pale face pinched in grief. “The wizard tried to kill me and Xander fell and…”

“Xander is not dead.” Dawn gripped Anya’s trembling hands even tighter. “I opened a portal and he followed the curse into it. He’s not dead, Ahn. We’ve been working on a way to bring him back to you and Buff and Will think they might have a lead on a new spell to help in London.”

Anya blinked wearily at the earnest face above her and whispered. “He’s not dead?”

Kit stepped up to the opposite side of the bed to Dawn and placed her hands over the clasped ones in Anya’s lap. “No. We’re working every day on a way to bring him home, Anya.” She met Dawn’s eyes for a moment and repeated firmly. “We’re bringing him home.”

Tears began to trickle down Anya’s face. “I feel so lost. Xander’s not here and the baby has grown inside me and Buffy won’t come and I will have to have the baby all by myself and be a lone parent family and bear the child-rearing costs all by myself and the Magic Box hasn’t been doing so good lately…” A look of genuine horror twisted her face. “The Magic Box! Who has been running the Magic Box in my absence?” Anya’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “It’s not Willow is it? She often takes supplies without paying for them and says it is not stealing and my profit margin will suffer considerably if a close eye is not kept on her consumption of magical ingredients.”

Dawn giggled and smoothed the worried demon’s brow. “No, Willow and the others are in London helping man the wizarding barricades.” She darted a nervous look at Kit and swallowed before mumbling. “And fmfhf is looking after the Magic Box.”

Anya’s eyes bulged. “You left FAITH in charge of my shop? She’s a convicted criminal.”

Kit nodded and replied seriously. “But Faith just killed people, she didn’t steal. It’ll probably be ok.” She cringed under Dawn’s exasperated glare and muttered. “That sounded a lot better in my head.”

Ginny shouldered Dawn out of the way. “I’m fairly sure this isn’t doing Anya’s blood pressure any good.” With a smile at Anya Ginny turned to Madam Pomfrey. “Madam if you’ll tell me what to do I think we should just make sure she’s ok while someone calls down to the kitchens for her…um…food.”

Madam Pomfrey adjusted her white mobcap with an affronted sniff. “I can assure you, Miss Weasley, I am more than capable of conducting an examination in my own hospital. If you and your friends will leave, we will make Mrs Harris comfortable and then you may come back in.”

Anya pointed a threatening finger at the annoyed nurse. “You take another step closer to me, Florence Nightingale, and I’ll shove that stupid hat so far up your…. mmphff!”

Connor tightened his hand over Anya’s face and smiled soothingly at Madam Pomfrey. “Let’s just stick to the plan shall we? Anya’s obviously very distressed and I think it’ll be better for all concerned if we just let Ginny have a look at her and then we can spend some time with her and fill her in on the situation.” His eyebrows rose as Anya continued to mumble unhappy threats behind his hand and his sensitive ears caught the general bloodthirsty gist. “She’s very upset, I really wouldn’t come any closer.”

  
  
  


* * *

The next day Ginny Weasley stepped through the door to her common room with a weary sigh and allowed her heavy school bag to slip with a loud thump to the floor, deeply thankful that her mother and Liz had taken the three children to visit with some friends in the refugee village in the grounds of the school. She stretched her aching shoulders and tilted her head as the sound of an unfamiliar laugh echoed down the stairs from the dormitories. The common room itself was empty and she walked quickly across to the roaring fire to settle in the corner of the sofa shooting a curious glance up the stairs as the laugh bellowed out again.

She knew that Harry and Kit were off with Hermione gathering some herbs from the green houses for a new location spell that Willow had sent that morning and Dawn was spending half an hour before dinner with Anya in the hospital wing, which left only Connor and Draco to be accounted for. Ginny’s mouth quirked in a smile as she tried to picture Draco ever letting go of his rigid control long enough to indulge in a hearty belly laugh and concluded that one of Connor or Dawn’s family must have keyed in unexpectedly for a visit from London.

The sound of thumping feet on the stairs had her head turning and she left staring in slack-jawed amazement as Draco leapt the last four feet down the stairs, laughing his previously rigid ass off as Connor raced after him with a brightly coloured water gun. “Connor, I swear to Merlin, if you…bleurgh!” A stream of water hit Draco right between the eyes and he swore loudly as he spluttered with the shock and sprinted for the relative safety of the other side of the room.

“C’mon, wussy-boy, take it like a man.” Connor waved the water gun tauntingly. “Come and get me if you can.”

Draco, completely oblivious to Ginny’s stunned presence, wagged a finger. “Think how annoyed Ma Weasley will be when she sees the state of this place.” He grabbed an inkwell off the desk beside him and held it poised above his head. “We don’t want to incur her wrath now, do we?”

Connor backed up a step. “You wouldn’t!”

Draco grinned evilly. “Try me. ‘Oh, Mrs Weasley, I tried to stop him, really I did, but he was just so fast and so strong and before I knew it he’d completely wrecked our beautiful room and then started on the common room. I’m sooooo sorry.’” Draco’s face twisted in a smug sneer. “You won’t stand a chance.”

Connor eyed his brother in amazement. “You complete bastard.” He cocked the water gun up to his shoulder once more. “But if you’re going to blame me anyway…” He sprang forward and another gush of water hit Draco’s face as both boys yelled with laughter and the inkpot went flying across the room.

Ginny ducked just in time as the pot sailed towards her head and then jumped up as Connor and Draco crashed to the floor in a struggling, laughing, swearing heap. “Hey!” The two boys halted their wrestling match and looked up in surprise as Ginny planted her hands on her hips and glared at them. “What on earth do you two think you’re doing?”

The laughter died from Draco’s flushed face and he pushed away from Connor to get to his feet. Connor tipped his head back from his prone position on the floor and beamed at an annoyed looking, upside-down Ginny. “Trying out some new holy water guns.” He moved to put all his weight on his shoulders and jack-knifed to his feet, pushing his floppy hair out of his eyes with a grin. “It’s fun, do you want a turn?”

Ginny stared from the sopping wet Draco to the only slightly damp Connor and tried to ignore the inexplicable dryness of her mouth at the transparency of Draco’s t-shirt. “You’re doing what?”

Connor walked to where his state of the art, pump action water gun was lying abandoned under a desk and picked it up. “Dad and the others sent us a new supply package this morning. We figured we should test them out before we tried to use them in battle.” He rested the gun against his shoulder and shrugged. “So we did.”

Ginny moved her incredulous gaze from Connor’s happy face to Draco’s closed one and said the first thing that came into her mind. “You were laughing.”

Draco raised an eyebrow at her accusing tone and said calmly. “I don’t believe it’s illegal.” He nodded at Connor and walked to the stairs. “I’m going to shower and get cleaned up, I’ll see you both later.”

Connor watched Draco disappear up the stairs and then turned to look disapprovingly at Ginny. “What did you do that for?”

Ginny’s mouth fell open at Connor’s irritated tone of voice. “What? I didn’t do anything.”

“Well he was just fine till you came in.” Connor glared at Ginny fiercely. “Just lay off him, alright?”

“What?” Ginny’s mouth fell open in outrage. “Lay off Malfoy?” She gave a very unladylike snort and folded her arms defensively. “He’s a big boy, Connor, I don’t think he needs you playing the big, bad defender.”

Connor tossed his water gun away and folded his own arms as he stuck out his chin. “Well no one else is going to.” He looked Ginny up and down with disappointed eyes. “I expected better of you, Gin.”

Ginny’s head snapped back as though Connor had struck her and she repeated blankly. “It’s Malfoy…”

“No, it’s Angel. Draco Angel and we take care of our own. If you can’t be nice to him then just stay the hell away, he doesn’t deserve you sniping at him every time he turns around.” Connor put his hands on his hips and shook his head in amazement. “I can’t believe you made him feel like crap for laughing.”

Ginny’s mouth dropped open again. “That’s just it, it’s Draco, he doesn’t laugh for Merlin’s sake!” Her hands gestured wildly in the air. “He plots and he schemes and he’s generally unpleasant to be around, he doesn’t go about having a good time!”

Connor raised a pointed eyebrow. “Really? You might want to check with Kit about the unpleasant to be around part, because from what I’ve seen she was pretty happy he showed up the other night.”

Ginny open and shut her mouth speechlessly several times before managing to squeak indignantly. “That’s completely different and you know it! You don’t know what he’s capable of!”

_ Don’t bet on it _ , thought Connor, but he stifled his triumphant smirk and sniffed impatiently. “Oh really? So why don’t you tell me?” The snap of Ginny’s mouth clicking shut echoed round the room and Connor shook his head. “I thought so, nothing but hot air and…”

“He attacked me!” Ginny clapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes widened in horror at her outburst. Connor gave her a startled look and mentally promised Draco a severe ass kicking if Ginny’s version of events turned out to be more explicit than the ex-Slytherin’s.

“What?” If Connor had a failing it was that he was completely unable to lie and he found himself biting the inside of his cheek to keep a look of pained surprise on his face. “He did what?”

Ginny eased her hand away from her mouth and shook her head in panic. “I didn’t mean that, forget I said anything.” She backed away from Connor. “I should get ready for dinner.”

“Not so fast.” Connor darted forward and caught Ginny’s arm in a hard grip. “You can’t just go round dropping things like that on people and then just tell them to forget it.” He marched her to the sofa and pushed her down. “Sit down and tell me what happened.”

Ginny tugged her arm from Connor’s hand and scowled. “It’s none of your business…”

“Wrong.” Connor folded his arms over his chest and tried to copy the firm glare that Angel sometimes used on Cordelia and Fred when they insisted on ignoring him and going their own sweet way. Which was most of the time. “Draco’s my brother and you’re my friend. Definitely my business.”

Ginny opened her mouth and then shut it again as Connor glared harder. She darted a look at the stairs and then whispered. “He attacked me the night the vampires came to Hogwarts. Before we went to Sunnydale.”

Connor nodded and sat down beside her. “Right. What happened?” He smiled reassuringly. “You can tell me.”

Ginny looked down as he wrapped his hand around her cold one and squeezed. “I’m not sure I should.” She bit her lip. “You won’t tell Ron will you?”

Connor’s eyes danced with suppressed amusement. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, do you?” He grinned as Ginny’s lips twitched in an uncertain smile and continued. “If there’s any kicking of Draco’s ass to be done, I’ll do it. Whatever you tell me stays between us.”

Ginny studied Connor’s face for a moment before nodding slowly. “Ok.” She turned to stare into the flickering fire as she said in a rush. “I broke into the Slytherin common room that night and Draco caught me. Then the other Slytherins caught us and he hid me. By the time they’d gone, I’d fallen asleep and when he woke me up I lashed out. I thought he’d do something terrible to me so I ran and he pushed me down on the floor and…and…”

Connor’s heart was racing as she tried to get the next bit out. “Yes, and then?”

Ginny’s eyes filled with confused tears as she looked up at his worried face. “Then he pinned me to the floor and…and touched me and tr…tried to kiss me.”

“Then what?” Connor clutched at Ginny’s hand tightly. “Then what happened?”

“The…then he let me go.” Ginny sniffed back threatening tears. “He got up and he opened the door and let me go.”

Connor breathed a sigh of relief and then rearranged his face to a suitably serious expression as Ginny looked up at him. “Right. I see.”

Flushed with embarrassment, Ginny whispered. “He didn’t have to do that. I know how ugly my scar is, he didn’t have to be cruel to me like that.”

Connor frowned in genuine confusion for a moment before enlightenment dawned. “You think he tried to assault you because of your scar?”

Ginny blinked. “Of course. Why else would he do that?” She shrugged. “Draco could have any girl in school. He wanted to hurt me and he knew that making fun of me in that way was the best way to do it.”

Connor gave her a loving, lop-sided smile. “Ginny, you idiot.” He brushed her hair away from her face, ignoring her reflexive wince. “I can’t believe you still think that matters to anyone. You’re beautiful, y’know?”

Ginny’s skin coloured and she tried to escape Connor’s hand. “You’re my friend, you have to say that.”

“No, I don’t.” Connor chuckled and leaned back to pull her into his side for a comforting cuddle. “I’m not saying you’re perfect, but you’ve got bigger problems than a little scar. Your eyes are a bit close together, you could do with some extra padding around the butt and, to be honest, all that hair hanging around your face doesn’t really work for you. You look like an orange Cousin It.”

Ginny’s mouth fell open in shock. “I look like a WHAT?”

Connor grinned over the top of her head into the firelight. “Muggle thing, you wouldn’t get it. My point is, you’re really pretty and the only one that makes a big deal about your scar is you.” He coughed. “It didn’t occur to you that Draco got carried away because he found you attractive?”

Ginny shifted uncomfortably. “Of course not, don’t be stupid.” She pictured Draco’s face that night and muttered uncertainly. “Of course not.”

Connor rolled his eyes and gave thanks, not for the first time, that his courtship of his own mate had been relatively simple in comparison to the train wrecks his British friends seemed to be making of their own love lives. “Has he tried anything since? Tried to force you again?”

Ginny shook her head and felt a twinge of guilt that she had been determinedly been ignoring overtures of friendship from Draco’s corner. “No.” Her innate sense of honesty compelled her to add. “He apologised and he’s promised he won’t do it again. He asked for a fresh start.”

Connor squeezed Ginny’s shoulders lightly. “Well it’s up to you, of course, but I think he’s earned it.” He craned his neck so he could see Ginny’s thoughtful face. “From the sounds of it, things got out of hand and he did a terrible thing but he’s done a lot to try and make up for it. I’m guessing he wouldn’t have been so enthusiastic about helping us in the Hall that night and the next day if he wasn’t trying to make it up to you.”

Ginny chewed her lip uncertainly. “Do you think so?” She tipped her head back to eye Connor dubiously. “He’s always been so…unapproachable.”

“Did you see his father in court?” Connor shuddered dramatically. “If I’d lived with that all my life I’d be a little reserved as well.” He flashed one of his lightening grins. “Actually the next time my dad comes to visit ask him about how easy I was to talk to when I first came home to him. Not the most sociable son in the history of the world.” He glanced towards the stairs and listened intently for a few seconds to make sure Draco was still moving up in their room before lowering his voice. “If you promise not to tell anyone, I’ll let you in on a secret.” He stifled a smile at Ginny’s earnest nod and dropped his voice to a whisper. “I think he’s actually very shy.”

Ginny snorted with laughter and thumped Connor’s ribs. “Git! You had me going there for a minute.”

Connor grabbed her hand as she went to thump him again and nodded seriously. “Trust me, he’s shy. It must be difficult to let people in when you’ve always been told to disguise your true nature. After all, the person he had to be all his life was never good enough for anyone, why should the person he is be taken any differently?”

Ginny eyed Connor silently for a moment before shaking her head incredulously. “You’re actually serious aren’t you?”

Connor nodded. “Of course. The Draco you saw when you came in earlier wasn’t the Draco you’re used to seeing is it?” He gave her a knowing smile. “And then he saw you standing there looking like he’d grown another head and he changed back. I get to see the real Draco because I don’t expect him to be anything but who he is now.” He nudged Ginny aside and ruffled her hair affectionately as he stood to walk to the stairs. “He’s actually a pretty cool guy. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go kick his ass into the middle of next week for being such a butthead with you.”

Ginny nodded absently as she digested Connor’s words and then hurriedly jumped up as she registered the last sentence. “NO!” She shrugged awkwardly at Connor’s enquiring face. “It’s done and, like you said, he apologised and he’s tried to make up for it.” Ginny sucked in a breath and finished firmly. “I should stop expecting the worst of him and give him a chance.”

Connor made a show of reluctant hesitation on the foot of the stairs. “Are you sure? I could maybe kick him around a little bit…”

Ginny giggled. “Thanks, but I already beat the stuffing out of him the first day he moved in from Slytherin. I don’t need you to fight my battles for me.”

Connor grinned. “Fair enough.” He blinked sheepishly as he looked at the wet room behind her and then at the ink staining the rug. “I have to get clean clothes on. I don’t suppose there’s any chance you’d help me out and clear this mess up before your Mom gets back with Liz and the kids, is there?”

Ginny raised one eyebrow as she snatched her school bag from the floor and swept past Connor to the stairs. “Not a hope, Mer-boy. I said I’d give Draco a second chance, not devote my life to keeping him out of trouble.”

Connor sighed as she trotted up to her bedroom. “Dammit.”

  
  


* * *

Ginny was very quiet for the next couple of days as she watched Draco and the way he interacted with the people around him. While there was no doubt he still took great delight in irritating the life out of Ron, Harry and Hermione, she was startled to note that when he was with Connor, Kit or Dawn, or thought he was unobserved, he was a very different person. Despite the fact that his new ‘brother’ and one of his female housemates were muggles, and therefore people he had always professed to loathe to the marrow of his very bones, he seemed very happy to spend hours teaching Kit to play exploding snap and coaching Connor in the art of wizarding chess. An easy relationship had sprung up between Draco and Dawn that seemed to involve much teasing and name-calling but was none-the-less genuinely affectionate. Ginny was also surprised to learn that Draco was maintaining regular contact with his new parents and received the regular owl missives from his extended family with what could only be called genuine pleasure.

She had been half convinced that the pleasant façade he had maintained when the Scoobs and the Fang Gang had visited for their Thanksgiving holiday had been purely for show and he was making the best of a bad situation, but as she watched Draco laugh quietly to himself over Angel’s letters and Cordelia’s affectionate reminders to stay out of trouble, Ginny realised that Draco was genuinely revelling in the attention and interest of his new guardians.

The two days that Buffy and the others had spent at Hogwarts had been filled with affection and laughter as they had caught up with the kids and made efforts to include Liz in her daughter’s secret life and Draco had found himself on the end of more unthinking friendliness and casual touches and hugs than he had known what to do with. He had gone to bed on the first evening in a daze, sure that it had been a brief aberration from the norm but when morning had come he had found himself dragged out of bed by Cordelia and Fred to join the girls and Connor for a leisurely breakfast before being turned over to Gunn and Wes for a hard morning’s training. Angel had made it a point to spend a couple of hours on both days on his own with Draco getting to know his new son and the highly successful visit had culminated in a riotous two hours in the common room when Angel and Draco had discovered they had a love of sketching in common and had drawn deeply unflattering caricatures of everyone there.

Ginny watched as Draco flicked a ball of discarded parchment at Hermione’s head and then chuckled quietly to himself as he bent industriously over his homework and Ron got the blame. There was no doubt about it; Draco Angel was someone entirely different than Draco Malfoy.

They were grouped in their common room on a cold December morning, thankfully empty of the children, as Molly and Liz had taken them down the Great Hall to run off some energy before lunch. Dawn had led yet another attempt to try and find Xander earlier that day in the training room but had only succeeded in opening a portal to a dimension that seemed to be entirely made of pink slime and thoroughly soaking an unimpressed Hermione and Connor before they could dodge out of the way. After the goo had been scraped off the two, and Ginny, Harry and Ron had done some fast work with their wands to clean the mess off the training mat, they had decided to take a break and have another try in the afternoon. Ginny wiggled her feet a little nearer the fire and then yelped as Professor Dumbledore’s head playfully snapped at her toes.

Connor and Dawn jumped up at Ginny’s squeal of alarm and just as suddenly relaxed when their Headmaster winked happily at them. “Good morning, good morning! Enjoying a peaceful few hours I see?”

Dawn grinned at the old wizard and resumed her seat. “Yes, sir. Can we help you?”

Dumbledore smiled happily at Ron and Harry as they waved hello and his head bobbed up and down disconcertingly as he nodded. “I certainly hope so. We’ve had a communication from London and were rather hoping you might be able to assist us?”

Connor threw his quill away with a relieved yell. “Great.” He got up so fast his chair fell to the floor with a loud crash. “Big fight, right?”

Looking vastly amused at the teenaged boy bouncing with eager martial joy on his common room floor, Dumbledore winked. “Possibly. As it stands at the moment, some suspicious looking people were sighted leaving Knockturn Alley this morning and when challenged by the Aurors managed to elude their questioners and disappear into muggle London. I thought you might all enjoy a few hours break from school.”

Dawn and Kit blinked rapturously at each other. “Shopping.” Kit flushed at Hermione’s stifled giggle and added hurriedly. “And defeating of the evil, obviously.”

Professor Dumbledore’s face crinkled with amusement. “Quite. Well, if you’d all like to pop upstairs and change into some suitable, non-descript clothing and then make your way to my office, I have a port-key waiting to take you all to a private room at the Leaky Cauldron. Kingsley will be meeting you there and giving you further instructions.” He watched as eight stir-crazy teenagers stampeded past him and raised his voice to shout after them. “Small, concealable weapons only please!”

  
  
  


* * *

Kit staggered as she let go of the small hairbrush that had enabled her to travel to London. “Oh my God.” She collapsed back onto the handy bed behind her and clutched her rolling stomach. “Somebody get me a bucket.”

Draco tugged his black leather jacket more comfortably over his shoulders, checked out his reflection in the mirror over the mantelpiece and got a saucy, approving wink back. “What’s the matter with you?”

Dawn sniggered as Kit groaned pitifully on the bed. “She gets travel sick.”

Draco glanced down at Kit’s undeniably green face and rolled his eyes. “Oh that’ll strike terror into the hearts of our enemies. Stop and desist all evil plans immediately or we’ll let our pet muggle puke on your shoes.”

Kit allowed one eye to pop open and kicked out to catch Draco’s shin. “I could be sick on you, y’know.”

Harry laughed as Draco clutched his leg and hopped swearing foully around the room. “Serves you right. Sit up and take some deep breaths, Kit. You’ll be ok in a minute.”

Ron glanced behind him at a deep cough and grinned. “Alright, Kingsley?”

The tall Auror eyed the eight teenagers warily. “Fine, thank you. Yourselves?” He looked at Dawn and then at Kit. “Would you like a glass of water sent up?”

Kit’s face lost the green tinge and bleached bone white. “No! No, eating or drinking of any kind.”

Connor grinned at the panicked reply and turned expectantly to Kingsley. “So, problem?” He reached under his jacket and fondled the hilt of the dagger held in the shoulder sheath there. “Something needs killing, right?”

Kingsley stared in blank horror at Connor’s eager face. “No, certainly not. We need extra help in finding three wizards that we suspect in being involved in certain dark practices.” He held out a photo, which held the images of three scowling men in their late thirties, one of whom was flicking the bird at the camera. “This was taken when they were detained two hours ago by a group of Aurors in Diagon Alley. We don’t seem to have any information at all on them at the Ministry which leads us to believe that they may be from overseas.” Everyone looked down at the picture again, where the men were now arguing amongst themselves and a different man was making the international gesture for dick-head at the people peering at him. Kingsley sighed. “As you can see, they weren’t happy about being detained. All we need you to do is go out into the muggle part of town and search the surrounding area. We have six separate teams of Aurors that are especially trained in muggle interaction but unfortunately the Slayer and her group are in Wales attending the site of a possible sacrifice that’s due to occur tonight and we’re rather short handed as they have a considerable number of Aurors with them.”

Dawn nodded. “Ok, basic recon. We can so do that.” She pivoted on her heel and ignored the sniggers from Ginny and Hermione as her jacket pockets jingled suspiciously. “Kit, you ready?”

Kit nodded carefully and accepted Harry’s hand to help her off the bed. “Yeah.” She looked guilty as her own pockets clinked and clutched Harry’s hand tighter as he tried to pull it back. “I still feel a bit woozy though.” Aware she wasn’t looking her best, Kit never the less tried a bright smile on Harry and ignored the grinning faces of Dawn, Ginny and Hermione as she asked. “Is it ok if I just hang onto you until I feel less dizzy?”

Harry blinked. “Um. Yeah. Right.” He tried to swallow and say something intelligent as he gazed into her smiling eyes and concluded seductively. “Just…er, let me know if you feel sick or anything.”

Kit’s smile barely flickered as she nodded and said cheerily. “Will do.” A sudden thought occurred to her. “Spike’s with Buffy, right?”

Thoroughly lost, Kingsley nodded. “Yes, I just said that.” He peered at Kit closely.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

Dawn grinned knowingly at Kit’s relieved face and Harry’s blank one and clapped her hands together. “Right, I’m thinking we should get going.” She looked around herself thoughtfully. “We should split into two teams, we’ll cover more ground that way. What do you think, Ron?”

Ron tucked his hands into his blue fleece jacket and checked that his wand was still safely inside. “Good idea. We need someone on each team that knows their way around muggle London though.”

Draco raised his hand. “I’ll go with Dawn and Connor then.” He raised an eyebrow at the dubious faces around him. “I’m not completely ignorant of muggle life, you know. Just because I was raised in a traditional environment doesn’t mean that I had no contact with the outside world.”

Ginny caught Connor’s eye and stepped forward. “I’ll go with them, Ron. I know the area pretty well.” She smiled uncertainly at Draco. “If that’s alright with you?”

Draco realised his mouth was hanging open and closed it hurriedly. “Of course. Two heads are better than one.” He gestured to her fawn duffle coat and gloveless hands, saying awkwardly. “It may take some time, will you be warm enough?”

Connor traded smug smiles with Dawn. “Great, that’s settled. We’ll meet back here in two hours?”

Hermione busied herself wrapping her scarf more snugly around her throat as she said to Kingsley. “How will we know if the wizards have been found?”

Kingsley reached into the pockets of his robes and pulled out two ancient looking cell phones. “I assume that some of you can work these?” At the enthusiastic nods from Dawn and Kit he handed each girl a phone. “While you’re outside you can contact the other teams by using the numbers already on them. Just press the appropriate numbers to speak to the team you want. You will be team seven.” Kit nodded as she pocketed the phone and Kingsley pointed at Dawn. “You’ll be team eight. Make sure you keep the other teams updated on your positions. We need you to make sure the wizards aren’t taking advantage of the Christmas shoppers and hiding in the local shops. What is that noise?”

Dawn stopped bouncing up and down in glee and clapped a hand to her jacket pockets hurriedly to still the loud jangling of coins. “No idea.” She sidled to the door. “We should go if we’ve got to hit all the shops.” She edged out into the corridor and called back. “To find the evil wizards, I mean!”

Kingsley’s eyes narrowed as the room rapidly emptied and the teenagers followed in Dawn’s clinking wake. “Right.” He leaned out of the door and watched them jog down the gloomily lit corridor. “Be careful and if you find them, call for help.”

Dawn’s voice floated back. “Gotcha.” There was a pause and then she called again. “There’s no luggage restrictions on those port key things, right?”

  
  
  


* * *

It took an hour and a half before the call came through that one of the Auror teams had picked up a lead on the renegade wizards and that they had been seen apparating out of Hyde Park. Dawn depressed the cut-off key on her phone with a flourish and beamed at her cold looking companions. “We’re off the hook. Looks like the evil-guys have blown town and we’re supposed to be heading back.”

Connor quirked an amused eyebrow as she looked avariciously at the brightly lit shops around them. “Supposed to be?”

Dawn grinned mischievously as she hit the seven key on her phone. “Connor, sweetie, if you think I’m heading back to the Castle of Doom without at least a new pair of pants and a couple of tops, you’re nuttier than Dru. Kit?” Dawn pressed the phone to her ear. “We’re outside the big record store on the main road down from the pub. VirginMegastore. Meet us here as soon as you can? I’ll call in and tell them we’ll be back around eight. Cool.”

Draco shivered inside his leather jacket and twitched his ice-cold nose. “We’re going shopping?” He glowered as a frazzled man bumped him into with three twittering teenaged daughters in tow and then turned to stare behind him at brightly lit red and yellow sign. “We’re going shopping with muggles for virgins? Are they allowed to do that?”

Dawn linked her arm with Connor and gave Draco a droll look. “Yes, its common practice in our world to sell virgins in malls and high streets.” Connor and Dawn both burst out laughing as Draco looked worriedly at Ginny and took a protective step closer to her. “You idiot, it’s just the name of the shop. Strictly fallen women for sale only. We’re just gonna go look for clothes and stuff. You don’t think I went and changed my allowance back to muggle money for the laughs, didya? We’re going to shop our asses off. You got cash, sweetie?”

Connor dropped an indulgent kiss on his girlfriend’s glowing face. “Uh-huh. Picked up mine and Draco’s allowance.” He rummaged in his jean pocket and held out a crumpled pile of notes to Draco. “Looks like Mom was in charge of the deposit this month. Dad still thinks you can get a drink, meal and a cab home for under ten bucks.”

Draco took the proffered money and looked curiously at it. “Is that why you insisted on dragging us all into Gringotts? I thought that was for emergency funds and you just wanted to go shopping?” He peered closer at the greasy notes in his hand and muttered dubiously. “You can actually buy things with this? Does it change into gold when you give it to the shop keeper?”

Ginny laughed as she hurriedly folded her hand over his and pushed it down by his side out of sight. “No. It’s just paper. Put it away before someone tries to steal it.”

Draco looked down at her cold fingers squeezing his leather-gloved hand. “It would have to be spectacularly stupid person who would try to steal paper.” He carelessly crammed the notes into his jacket and peeled off his gloves. “Here. You’re freezing.”

Ginny stepped back and shook her head. “Oh no, that’s ok.” She jammed her blue-tinged hands into her pockets. “I’m fine.”

Draco huffed impatiently and his breath froze in a white cloud in the grey December light. “Don’t be foolish. Take the gloves.” He waved the limp black shapes at her. “Your mother won’t be pleased if I bring you back with two stumps where your hands used to be.”

Dawn looked innocently between the two. “Why not share them like me and Connor?” Like they had rehearsed the routine a thousand times before, they both raised the hands on the outside of their bodies to reveal matching gloves and then looked down at their other hands, clasped tightly together in Connor’s jacket pocket.

Ginny glared at Dawn and said tightly. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Dawn.”

“What’s not a good idea?” Ron drew level with his friends and eyed his sister. “Trouble?”

“I was just saying that Ginny and Draco should share Draco’s gloves like me and Connor.” Dawn glanced down at where Ron and Hermione’s hands should be and raised her eyebrows. “And like you two apparently are.”

Hermione shuffled her feet. “We’re undercover. We thought it might be less suspicious if we pretended to be a couple.” She felt her face heat as Connor’s mouth twisted knowingly and muttered defensively. “We’re blending in.”

Connor lost his smug grin as he caught sight of Harry and Kit, hands also firmly entwined. “There’s a lot of it going about.” He narrowed his eyes as Kit grinned unashamedly at him and made a mental note to have that chat with Ron about how to handle teenaged sisters dating as soon as he could.

Kit stuck her tongue out at Connor and said innocently. “I didn’t want to get lost.” She turned wide eyes on the stupidly grinning Harry. “It’s a big, strange city after all.”

Harry nodded and croaked. “Yeah. Right.”

Dawn nodded seriously at Ginny. “There, you don’t want to get lost do you? Now hold Draco’s hand already, and let’s go shopping.”

Ron’s face clouded ominously. “Hang on, you weren’t serious about that, were you?” He glared at Draco. “I don’t want your bloody great paws all over my sister.”

Ginny was close enough to catch the flicker of hurt in Draco’s eyes and for that reason alone found herself snatching a glove out of his hand and snapping at her brother. “Grow up, Ron. I’m going to hold his hand not jump his bones on the high street.” She smiled up at Draco and held out her un-gloved hand to him. “If that’s ok with you?”

Draco managed to swallow his heart, which seemed to be inexplicably lodged in his throat and nodded. “Certainly.” He drew on his own glove and took her smaller hand in his to tuck inside his pocket. “Is that comfortable?”

Ginny nodded shyly. “Yes, thank you.” She smiled coolly at Ron. “Ready?”

Ron spluttered wordlessly for a few moments before saying in a horrified whisper. “Jump his bones?”

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Relax, Ron, that’s what I’m not going to do.” She smiled as her hand began to warm up in Draco’s and the heat seemed to spread all the way up her arm to make its way over the rest of her body. She allowed Draco to lead her after Dawn and Connor as they headed into a cheerfully lit clothes store and added hesitantly in the privacy of her own head…Yet.


	33. Chapter Twenty-Eight

The boys of Durus Cateanus were bored. Very, very bored. It was early on the Monday evening after their trip to London and all four were suffering from a severe dose of cabin fever thanks to the unexpected taste of freedom at the weekend and then coming back to the increasingly oppressive atmosphere of Hogwarts. For form's sake they had whined and moaned their way around London's bigger muggle stores as they had followed their assorted women in what could only be described as a shopping frenzy but, to a man, they had secretly enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the pre-Christmas rush and the muggles frantically buying anything with a price tag on it.

Even Draco had finally stopped glaring every time he was jostled and had been persuaded to not risk a Ministry caution by cursing a packed clothing store when Dawn and Kit had to wait in line for half an hour for a free changing room. The highlight of the trip had undoubtedly been when Dawn and Connor had spotted a pair of wonderfully familiar golden arches and had led the exhausted and starving group triumphantly towards a gleaming Mecca of polystyrene boxes filled with meat-related goodness. The stunned silence from Ron, Ginny and Draco as they had taken their first mouthful of a Big Mac had turned into a near religious experience as teenage taste buds had experienced the wonder of limp meat, soggy bread and processed cheese all in one convenient handful. Much to Connor's amusement Draco had managed to force down three of the large burgers and two cartons of fries washed down with an extra large milkshake before being towed out munching on a cinnamon apple pie by an impatient Dawn.

Ginny had remembered to cast a charm on Kit to alleviate her travel sickness before they had left London, but unfortunately no one had thought to do the same for Draco. He had thrown up in spectacular fashion when they had port keyed back to Hogwarts and the shock had been too much for his distended stomach to take. Molly was also less than pleased that Draco managed to score a direct hit on the baby's crib, fortunately sans infant, particularly when he had arrived back in the Durus Cateanus common room facing in the opposite direction to the object in question. Draco maintained his innocence and insisted he was just unlucky, the rest of his house were unconvinced, especially when Kit swore she heard him whisper to the baby the following morning that he'd get her next time.

Draco gave a gusty sigh from his slouched position on the sofa and then when he got no reaction from his housemates gave a much louder one. Ron looked up from where he was carving his name absently into his desk with a dagger he was meant to be sharpening. “What's the matter with you?”

Draco tucked his hands behind his head and glared at the ceiling. “I'm bored.”

Connor looked up hopefully from where he was poking a toy broomstick into the fire to see how long it took to go up in smoke. A sudden muffled whoomph announced the answer was approximately thirty seconds. He dropped the burning toy into the flames with a girly yelp and shook his singed fingers. “Do you want to go train?”

Draco found, for once, he was perfectly in agreement with Harry when the dark-haired boy rolled his eyes behind smudged glasses and muttered. “Merlin, not again. Connor there are other things to do besides hit each other with big sticks, you know.”

Connor looked surprised but shrugged and snatched up a small discarded chess piece from the floor and looked speculatively at the fire. The chess piece, a bishop, crossed itself, bit Connor hard on the fleshy part of his fist and ran away when badass demon hunter dropped it with another loud squeal.

Ron scowled. “Will you stop setting fire to things?” He rolled his eyes as Connor sucked at his hand and blinked piteously back at him. “Let's try and think of the Destroyer thing as a guideline rather than a hard and fast rule, yes?”

Draco raised his head. “Leave off, Weasel. If he wants to occupy himself with third degree burns then let him.” His head thumped back against the sofa cushions again. “He's not doing you any harm.”

Ron opened his mouth, could think of nothing to say at Draco standing up for someone when there was nothing in it for him, and shut it again. Connor grinned and kicked Draco's ankle. “Thanks, bro.”

Draco winked. “You're quite welcome.” He waved a careless hand at the pile of parchments that constituted Ron and Harry's homework to be handed in over the next two days. “That's next.”

Harry grabbed for the pile of parchment and glowered at the boy on the sofa as he hastily moved them out of Connor's line of sight. “Stop encouraging him. And use your own bloody homework.”

Draco brightened at the tetchy tone of Harry's voice and he sat up with another wink at Connor. “Well, someone's having a sense of humour failure. What's the matter, Potter, no one had time to give you your daily dose of hero worship?”

Harry finished tucking his homework safely away in his school bag and smirked at Draco. “Well, you know how it is. Now they've got you to fawn over, muggle-lover, there just isn't enough hours in the day.” He clasped his hands together beneath his chin and said in a high falsetto voice. “Oh, Draco, could you help me reach that book? It's sooooo high and you're so strong and brave…”

Ron and Connor burst out laughing at the look on Draco's face at Harry's mimicking of the majority of girls at Hogwarts and their continuing obsession with the ex-Slytherin and watched as he flushed and leapt off the sofa to make a grab for the snorting Harry. “I am not a muggle-lover!”

Harry dodged Draco's hand and continued to speak in the ridiculously high voice. “You're so mysterious and sexy with your scowl…”

Connor grinned. “Why does that sound familiar?” He held up a hand as Draco swung round to direct a fierce look in his direction. “Sorry, just saying.”

Draco darted to Harry's left and then faked him out to come around his right side and clamp an arm around his throat. “Take it back.”

Harry grunted and twisted to bring his elbow back into Draco's gut. “No!” He yelped as Draco fisted his free hand and scrubbed his knuckles briskly through his hair and over his scalp. “Ow, bloody hell!”

Draco fought to hang onto the writhing body and yelled. “Take it back or I'll strip every hair from your head, Potty.”

Harry's foot ground down onto Draco's toes. “Don't call me that. Snake-boy.”

Ron and Connor knelt on the sofa and leant on the back to watch the undignified wrestling match as the two other boys staggered backwards and forwards across the floor. Ron winced as Harry tried to bite Draco's arm. “Think they're going to remember that they're fated warriors for good anytime soon?”

Connor chuckled as Draco retaliated by getting a good grip on one of Harry's ears and yanking as hard as he could. “Nope, strictly pre-school yard fighting all the way.” He watched as Harry managed to shake Draco's hold on his neck and turned to take them both to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs and then muttered quietly to Ron. “So, how are things going with you and Hermione?”

Ron glanced quickly at Draco and Harry but they seemed to be fully occupied in trying to unscrew the other's head. “S'ok. She still won't let me tell anyone about us though.” He nodded towards Harry, now ahead on points by virtue of the shoe he had managed to tug off his foot and brought up to wallop Draco mercilessly on the head with, and said sombrely. “Thinks it might be weird for Harry and everything.”

Connor frowned. “That's stupid. Why would Harry care that you and Hermione are getting snuggly?” His eyes widened. “Oh, does Harry…”

“What?” Ron looked startled and then screwed up his nose in distaste. “Ugh, no. Herm's like Harry's sister, it's never been like that between them. I think she just wants to keep the way it's always been between the three of us.”

Connor nodded thoughtfully. “Ah.” He watched as Draco finally succeeded in wrenching the shoe out of Harry's hand and threw it away before getting hold of Harry's nose and twisting it viciously. “Only it's not the same, is it? Things are never going to be the same for any of us ever again.”

Ron kept his eyes on Draco and Harry who, as if to hammer Connor's point home, were now trying to tug each other's hair out by the roots and snorting with reluctant laughter. “No, they definitely aren't. I think she's scared that if we come out and tell everyone then that makes it real. When we're sneaking around and hiding from everyone then it's a game, it doesn't count, but if people know then…”

“You're in a relationship.” Connor shrugged. “So what? I'm with Dawn and that's going pretty ok.” His face creased in a wide smile. “Actually, that's working out great.”

Ron sighed. “But not everyone is as lucky as you and Dawn.” His eyes filled with longing for a moment before he forced a grin. “We'll get there, she just needs some time.”

Connor looked like he was going to say something else but was interrupted by Draco popping his head up over the back of the sofa. “Who needs some time?” He grinned mischievously back over his shoulder at Harry, who was trying to straighten his shirt and rumpled trousers. “Are we talking about girls? Because I don't think that's a suitable conversation for young ears.”

Harry flushed. “Shut up. I know about girls.” He turned a darker red as even his supposed best friend looked at him doubtfully. “I do! It's not like I've never had a girlfriend or anything.”

Draco climbed to his feet and smoothed his unruly hair. “Ah, yes, the lovely Cho. Possibly the only woman on the face of the planet who's as boring as you are.”

Harry scowled. “Don't talk about her like that. Cho isn't boring, she's…reserved.”

Ron couldn't help it. He caught Draco's laughing eye and they swapped grins before chorusing. “Bo-oring!”

Harry dusted off the seat of his pants and crossed to flop into one of the armchairs before the roaring fire. “Yeah, and you two are such ladies men.” He stabbed a finger at Draco and then Ron. “Pug-Face Parkinson and Veela-girl. Nice moves, lads.”

Connor laughed as the smiles fell from Ron and Draco's faces like Voldemort had just dropped into the room. “He's got you there.”

Draco drew himself up with dignity. “Pansy and I were never serious.” He paused and then added indignantly. “I have been with other girls you know!”

“And I didn't date a Veela.” Ron slouched down on the sofa and ignored Harry's mocking look. “I just found her attractive, that's all.”

Connor buffed his nails on his school shirt and looked smug. “I'm the dating king. You guys all suck. Oof!” He ducked under a hail of pillows and one shoe as his friends all howled with disgust and then popped up again. “It's true. I met Dawn, caught her and then reeled her in all in one night. I rule.”

Ron slapped the back of Connor's head sharply. “She's a girl, Connor, not a mackerel.”

Connor slapped Ron back. “I was fishing. I was fishing for lu-uuurve.” He grinned goofily at the retching noises around him and concluded smugly. “Laugh it up, boys, I'm the only one of us with a warm bed at night.”

Draco smirked knowingly. “Er, no. You're the only one of us with a warm, slightly fetid bundle of blankets where a hundred owls feed and crap.” He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair to toast his feet with a sigh of pleasure. “When it comes to your bed, you're as chaste as the rest of us.”

“Like you could sneak Dawn past my mum anyway.” Ron sniggered and elbowed Connor in the side. “She cut her teen sex radar on the best of the best with my brothers; it'll take a lot more than superpowers to get past her.”

“Don't I know it.” Suddenly gloomy, Connor stretched his own feet towards the flames. “That woman has ears like a bat. If she was running Voldemort's security operation, we'd have been toast months ago.”

Harry looked up from where he had been contemplating a hole in the toe of his sock with a scowl. “I know just as much about girls as the rest of you!”

Draco tilted his head to one side and said patronisingly. “Of course you do, Potter.”

Gritting his teeth, Harry muttered. “Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot. I know how to talk to a girl.” There was brief strained silence after his outburst before all three of his companions burst, rather cruelly, into gales of laughter. Harry's mouth dropped open. “Hey!”

Ron wiped tears of mirth from his flushed cheeks and spluttered. “Harry, mate, you've got a lot of things going for you but a good line in chatting up the birds isn't one of them.” The look of annoyance on Harry's face was enough to send him off into another round of giggles. “Harry Potter, Stud For Hire.”

Draco was lying splayed in his chair lost in helpless laughter. “Merlin…stop…I can't breathe…”

“Lock up your daughters, Potter's on the prowl!” Connor bent over clutching his stomach, gasping for air. “No woman under the age of fifty is safe.”

“I'm going to hex the lot of you in a minute.” Harry crossed his arms defensively over his chest and just stopped himself from pouting. “Stop taking the piss.”

“So…sorry.” Ron took several deep breaths and tried to get control of himself. “Sorry, mate. It's just…you…”

“Potter, you suck with women.” Draco managed to pull himself upright in his chair and looked at the dark-haired boy through dancing, streaming eyes. “I mean that in the most offensive way possible, of course.”

Harry's mouth fell open. “I do not suck with women!” He narrowed his eyes at Draco as he burst out laughing again and said warningly. “Sod off, Malfoy.”

“Oh please, you've been mooning around Kit since she got here like a complete fool and not once have you done anything about your feelings for the girl.” Draco rolled his eyes. “She can't take two steps without you tripping her up asking if she needs anything.”

“That's not true, Kit and me are friends!” Harry glowered at the sudden chorus of coughs around him. “We are. I don't look at her like that.” His face twisted angrily. “It's not like she can see past the great and wonderful Draco anyway.”

It was Draco's turn to look stunned. “What? You think that Kit…and me…” He went boneless in his chair again as he shook with mirth once more. “Oh, that's priceless!”

Ron stared at Harry in astonishment. “You think that Kit fancies him?” He held up a hand and waggled his fingers. “How many can you see, mate? I think we need to look into getting you a new pair of specs, those ones have obviously been smashed on the floor once too often.”

Connor snagged a can of slightly flat cola off the floor, courtesy of the same care package that the holy water guns had arrived in, and took a swig before saying carefully. “And we think Kit has the hots for Draco because?”

Harry kicked angrily at the edge of the fireside rug. “Well, it's obvious isn't it? He saved her from the Slytherins and she's always with him playing games and helping him with the potions and stuff.” Unaware he sounded more like a sulky two year old than an almost grown man, Harry finished. “She likes him better than she likes me.”

Throwing his hands up in the air, Draco sighed despairingly. “Oh, give me strength. Potter, you twat, she's got me firmly in the same camp as my bloodthirsty brother over there. I'm family, I could take off my clothes, dance my naked, superbly honed body in front of her and the most I'd get is concern that I'd catch a chill.” He broke off as he caught Connor's beaming smile from the corner of his eye. “What?”

“You called me your brother.” Connor's face looked like it was in danger of splitting in two. “Just now, you said I was your brother.”

Draco blinked uncomprehendingly for a moment before shrugging awkwardly. “Yes, well…” He coughed uncomfortably and tried to remember where he was. “Um…Kit. She doesn't fancy me and I most definitely do not fancy her.”

Harry glared and said belligerently. “What's wrong with Kit? Not good enough for the high and mighty pure blood?”

Ron shook his head disbelievingly and held up a hand to stop Draco's angry rejoinder. “I'll take this, Draco.” He turned to Harry and said solemnly. “Harry, you're my best mate, but sometimes you can be the biggest tit on the face of the planet. He didn't say anything was wrong with Kit, he just said he didn't fancy her. You seem to be the only one in this room that doesn't know that the girl's nuts about you.”

Harry was torn between outrage at Ron siding with Draco against him and a sudden stirring of hope that his apparently not-so-secret desires were common knowledge. “No she's not.” He studied his bitten fingernails and then glanced up with studied nonchalance. “Is she?”

“Can't you tell?” Connor cocked his head quizzically. “I can smell it a mile off.” His three companions all stared at him before screwing their faces up in distaste. “What? It's so obvious!”

“Connor, I know Dawn's mentioned this in the past, but stop helping!” Ron shook his head and shifted uncomfortably. “There are some things you just shouldn't share.”

Harry squirmed in his chair. “Really? You can really smell that she likes me?”

“Potter, stop encouraging him.” Draco squinted at Connor dubiously. “You really are the foulest creature at times.”

Harry ignored Draco and fixed expectant and hopeful eyes on Connor. “So what do I do about it? What do I say to her?”

Shooting Ron and Draco a triumphant smirk Connor shrugged easily. “Just be yourself…”

All eyes swung to Draco as he sat bolt upright with a look of genuine alarm on his face. “That's an appalling plan. He wants to charm the knickers off her, not put her in a bloody coma!” He nodded sagely at Harry. “Blag it. Buy her a lot of flowers and expensive jewellery and hope to Merlin she doesn't figure out what a twat you are until you get her where you want her.”

Looking at least as alarmed as Draco, Connor stabbed an emphatic finger at Harry. “Hey, no removal of the knickers and getting her where you want her! She stays upright and fully clothed at all times.”

Harry, out doing both of them in expressions of sheer panic, shook his head frantically. “What? No! I don't…I mean…I wouldn't…” His eyes bugged out as his breathing sped up. “I would never…”

Connor's eyes narrowed and he said warningly. “Don't make me call Spike up from London, Romeo.”

“Ok, before Harry actually has a heart attack, do we think we should all calm down a bit?” Ron stood and snatched the cola from Connor's hand to pass it to Harry. “Just take a swig of that, mate, you'll be alright in a minute.” He watched as Harry sucked feverishly at the sugary drink and rolled his eyes at Connor. “Nice job. Excellent work. He can barely string two words together around Kit and now he's going to be a gibbering idiot every time he claps eyes on her.”

Draco smirked maliciously. “I doubt she'll notice the difference.” He watched Harry try to liberate the last few drops of coke from the can and sighed. “For the love of Merlin, we were winding you up, Potter.” Fully aware that if his plan to win Ginny's heart was going to come to fruition, it might be helpful to have Harry happily snogging the face off someone else, Draco's Machiavellian mind was working at a furious rate. He kicked out sharply as Connor opened his mouth to strongly disagree that they were in any shape or form teasing Harry and continued without missing a beat. “For whatever reason, Kit seems to like you. Personally, I think she's taken one too many knocks to the head, but if she returns your feelings then go for it and don't listen to what anyone else has to say. What you have is between you and no one else.”

Connor shifted out of range of Draco's boot and muttered grouchily. “There'd better be clothes between them as well.” He lifted his chin defiantly as Draco pulled out his wand and waved it warningly. “I'm just saying.”

Harry stared at Draco silently and then at the coke can in his hand. “Yeah. It's between us.” Looking slightly calmer he nodded to himself. “No one else's business.”

“But the clothes stay on.” Connor looked desperately at Draco and Ron for support. “Right? The clothes stay on!”

  
  
  


* * *

At the same time that Draco and Connor were busy terrifying years off of Harry's life, the girls were busy trying to entertain an increasingly irritated pregnant vengeance demon. Now brought up to speed on the events that had occurred since the night of the battle in Sunnydale, Anya was going not-so-quietly insane as she was kept on bed-rest in the Hogwarts infirmary.

“But why can't I get up?” Anya pouted sulkily and smacked her fist on her bed cover in annoyance. “I am bored and restless and if I am to regain my previously pleasing figure after the child is born then I must get all the exercise I can whilst I am nurturing my spawn inside me.”

Dawn grinned fondly at Anya's still pale face. “First, stop calling the baby spawn and secondly, you know that Madam Pomfrey says that you need to get as much rest as possible if you're going to stand a chance of carrying the baby to term.” She patted Anya's bony hand gently. “The baby's half-human, half-demon, Ahn; your body might not be able to cope with looking after it and itself at the same time.”

“But I'm bored!” Anya's wail travelled down the ward and had Madam Pomfrey raising her head from where she was seated at her desk writing up notes and scowling forebodingly at the group of females. “Xander's not here and all the others are in London being useful and not coddling me and Faith is probably running all kinds of illegal scams using my shop as a front for her nefarious schemes and that old witch won't even let me out of this room to look around the castle.” She took a deep breath finishing petulantly. “And it's been so long since I've seen a penis that I can't even picture one in my head now. When Xander comes home I may need to borrow the book I gave you when you left Sunnydale, just to remember what to do with him.”

“Eww!” Kit, who had seen the book and now therefore had Xander and Anya in her head in vivid, naked, Technicolor detail, screwed up her face. “Too much information, Anya!”

Anya sniffed and wriggled her butt surreptitiously against the smooth cotton beneath her, trying to alleviate the sudden flare up of her pregnancy-induced piles. “You are young and do not understand that grown women have needs.” She moved her ass more firmly against the sheet as the maddening itch spread. “And right now those needs include some ice and an anti-inflammatory. Can someone please scratch my ass?”

There was a sudden scramble of teenaged girls off of the bed and several feet away from the now writhing demon. Dawn waved her hands hurriedly. “Anya, I know you're missing Xander but we don't swing that way. Strictly batting for the boys here.”

Kit interrupted helpfully. “We could call Willow if you want?”

Ginny exploded into giggles as she realised that Anya was contorting with discomfort and not frustrated lust. “Oh, I see. Hang on.” She pulled her wand out of her robe pocket and thought for a few seconds. “Here, this should work. Laxo.”

Anya sighed in relief as the burning itch in her rear end faded as quickly as it had arrived. “Thank you.” She puffed as she heaved herself back up onto her pillows and eyed Dawn and the others disparagingly. “And like I'd want to get physical with a lot of skinny virgins like you. I like my bodies to interlock without the aid of rubber and batteries, thank you.” She paused thoughtfully. “Although, Xander and I have enjoyed many pleasurable evenings with a medium sized…”

“Anya!” Dawn's yelp had Madam Pomfrey squinting suspiciously up the ward once more. “Don't need to hear it.” She managed to lower her voice back to its normal register. “And I am not a virgin!”

Anya brightened up. “Oh yes, Connor.” She patted her bedside invitingly. “Come and sit down and tell me all about your newly physical relationship. Have you gotten to page thirty-six in the book yet? I always found it helpful to have several large pillows and a small wooden chair on hand for support with that one.”

Aware her face was probably roughly the colour of a tomato; Dawn ignored the fascinated looks on her friends' faces and fixed Anya with a stern look. “I am not discussing my sex life with any friend of my sister.” She folded her arms across her chest as Anya pouted once more. “No, Anya.”

Anya sighed pathetically. “You Americans, all so repressed. I blame the Puritans.” She switched her hopeful gaze to the two British witches still watching Dawn curiously. “What about you two? You are both moderately attractive young women; have you anything you wish to share with your friends?”

Hermione twitched guiltily. “No. Nothing.” She tried to keep her eyes level with Anya's enquiring ones and could feel her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “Not a thing.”

“Hmm.” Anya narrowed her eyes speculatively but moved on to Ginny. “What about you? The new childe of Angel seems nicely shaped. There must be something very attractive hidden under that ridiculous piece of cloth he insists on wearing everywhere.” Her face creased in a knowing leer. “And the bad boys can be insatiable in the sack. Ask Dawn and Buffy.”

Ginny shook her head and stammered guiltily. “Oh no…Draco's…he's…we're friends.” Her face flamed with mortified colour and clashed horribly with her vivid hair. “I…we…”

“Stop it, Anya!” Dawn slapped gently at the demon's feet. “You'll have to get your vicarious smoochies elsewhere. We're the epitome of good girl etiquette here.”

Kit sighed. “She's right. Goddammit.” She shrugged as her friends looked at her.

“What? I've practically tattooed that I want to be more than friends with Harry on my forehead and he still hasn't gotten the hint.” She flopped down in the visitor's chair beside the bed and cupped her chin gloomily into her hand. “I don't know what else to do.”

Anya leered again. “The quiet ones are pretty nifty too.” She nodded encouragingly at Kit. “Have you tried removing your clothes and demanding he service you? That worked very well for me.” She continued thoughtfully. “Of course Xander did waste a perfectly good carton of cran-apple juice and those things aren't cheap. You might want to keep it simple to start with and only introduce foodstuffs and other aids into your relationship when he has recovered from his surprise; it could get very messy otherwise.”

A small silence followed as each of the four younger girls all briefly went over various scenarios in their mind that would involve Xander, Anya and a carton of juice and then just as determinedly forced the mental images away. Hermione cleared her throat. “I don't think that kind of behaviour is appropriate at our age.” She slanted a hesitant sideways look at her companions. “Is it?”

Anya smirked. “These are the best years of your life. Both yourself and your partner will be at your physical prime and there should be no limit to the positions you have available to you. This is exactly the time you should be doing those things.” There was another thoughtful silence before Anya plucked hesitantly at her blankets with nerveless fingers. “Is there any news on Xander?”

The light-hearted mood instantly disappeared at the deep yearning in Anya's deliberately casual question and the four girls crowded around her bedside. Dawn and Kit each reached for Anya's cold hands. “I'm sorry, Ahn, there's nothing yet.” Dawn squeezed the demon's fingers gently. “We're doing everything we can. Professor Dumbledore is letting us into the restricted section of the library tonight and there might be something in there we can use.”

Anya tried to smile as she looked up at the four girls but the brave gesture was negated by the lost look in her eyes. “Thank you, I know you're trying really hard to help him.” Her chin quivered as she tried to hold back tears. “I just miss him so much. Nothing is any fun without him and I miss him lying beside me at night and holding me in his arms.” She looked back down at the blankets and whispered brokenly. “I feel so cold without him.”

Dawn opened her mouth to offer some kind of comfort and then realised there was really nothing she could say. Anya was living in limbo until Xander came back to her, and as well meaning as everyone was, the situation could not be truly fixed until a certain Xander Harris bounded through the infirmary doors with his trademark goofy grin and box of miscellaneous pastries. She contented herself with gripping Anya's hand as tightly as she could and stroking Anya's hair with her free hand as the older woman's breath hitched as she tried to pull herself together.

“I think Mrs Harris needs to rest now.” Madam Pomfrey's quiet voice made them all jump as the nurse walked quietly up the ward. “You can all come back tomorrow.”

Anya's fingers tightened around Dawn and Kit's as they tried to obey the witch's order. “No, I'm fine. I want them to stay.”

Dawn looked at Anya's pale face and then nodded to Madam Pomfrey. “Sure, we've got homework to do anyway.” She bent to kiss Anya's forehead and eased her hand out from the demon's slightly frantic fingers. “We'll be back tomorrow, Ahn.”

“No, just another few minutes.” Even though Anya's voice was blurry with sudden tiredness she still reached out for the girls as they stood back to allow Madam Pomfrey access to her patient. “I don't want to stay here alone.”

Hermione's heart turned over in her chest at Anya's plea and she felt her throat tighten with emotion at the almost frightened look on the exhausted face. “It's ok, Anya, we'll be back.” A sudden thought struck her and she smiled slowly. “Actually I have an idea. Get some rest now and we'll be back in the morning before class.” She turned to shepherd the other girls towards the door, calling over her shoulder. “Just hang on until tomorrow, we'll be back.”

Dawn waited until they were in the corridor outside the infirmary before digging her heels in and pulling Hermione to a halt. “What's the what? What will be different tomorrow?”

Hermione grinned knowingly. “Come on, we need to find Professor Snape and the Headmaster.” She hurried down the corridor, impatiently beckoning her friends after her. “Hurry up, we haven't got a lot of time to get organised if we're going to the library this evening.”

Ginny's jaw dropped. “We need Snape? Are you sure?” She turned to Kit and

Dawn. “She did just say we needed Snape, right?”

Equally bewildered, the two Americans nodded. “Uh-huh.” Kit glanced uneasily up the corridor after Hermione, just in time to see the flare of her robe as she disappeared around the corner and out of sight. “Maybe the pressure's finally gotten to be too much for her. It can take some people like that. Perfectly sane one minute…”

“Completely delusional and loopy the next?” Dawn shook her head. “It's always the quiet ones.”

“Blimey.” Looking almost impressed Ginny began to hurry after Hermione as an impatient shout echoed back down the corridor. “Who'd have thought she'd have it in her?”

  
  
  


* * *

It took some persuading, and a lot of compromise, but finally Hermione was able to persuade Professor Dumbledore, and the markedly less enthusiastic Snape, that a bedridden and bored demon was exactly what was needed to enliven the seventh year DADA lessons. The class were seated in the Snape's preferred dungeon when Anya was wheeled through the door on a well-padded wheelchair by Dawn, with Connor and Draco on either side of her, glowering protectively at the silent room. Kit and the others waved and smiled from the front row as Anya was wheeled past and the demoness grinned delightedly as she looked over the packed classroom. All eyes turned towards the door as Snape swept in followed by a confused Ginny Weasley. “Take a seat with the rest of your house, Miss Weasley.”

Ginny stared up at her teacher with a frown. “Sir?” She glanced at her brother and friends nervously. “I'm meant to be in my Arithmancy lesson, sir.” She looked at the dank dungeon and then back at her friends. “This isn't it.”

“I am fully aware of what this room is and isn't, Miss Weasley, and unless you want to write five feet of parchment in detention tonight explaining it to me in great detail then I suggest you take a seat and stop holding up the beginning of my class.” Snape pointed to the front row. “You are joining this class for the rest of the school year, now do as you are told and be seated.”

“Sir!” Pansy Parkinson's hand waved angrily in the air. “Sir, that's not fair! She's just a sixth year and she won't be up to the standard of the rest of us. She'll be holding us back. Her brother's thick enough without having to wait for his stupid little sister as well.” Angry muttering from the Slytherin's and some Gryffindors sounded in the dungeon until Snape's forbidding scowl melted into an outright glower. Pansy's hand faltered. “Well, it's true…”

Snape's eyebrows snapped together. “Are you actually daring to question my judgement regarding my own class, Miss Parkinson?” He folded his arms across his chest as Pansy paled. “Obviously you have forgotten whom you are talking to. Perhaps a session this evening helping me to gut fifty slobberworms and remove their livers for third years potions tomorrow will help you remember?”

Ginny took the vacant seat next to Draco and then had to grab his wrist as he pulled his wand out of his robes and whispered. “No! What do you think you're doing?”

“Defending a member of my house.” Draco twisted his wrist easily out of Ginny's grasp with a wink and a mischievous grin. “I'll bet I can have her bound and possibly turned into the dog she so closely resembles in under five seconds.”

Ginny couldn't help the giggle at the look of malicious delight in his eyes and favoured Draco with a wide smile as she blocked the tip of his wand with her body. “That's lovely of you, but I think I can manage to rise above Pansy Parkinson. And she didn't actually say anything insulting. For Pansy.” She giggled again as Draco tried to reach around her. “Draco, stop it!”

Their quiet wrestling match came to an abrupt halt as Draco recoiled so fast at Ginny's quiet command that he bounced off Connor' s body on the other side of him. “I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you.” He continued to lean back away from all contact as Ginny stared at him in bewilderment. “I apologise.”

Aware the eyes of the class and her teacher were on her, Ginny leaned forward and then stopped as Draco all but crawled into Connor's lap to get away from her. “What's the matter with you?” She put her hand on the sleeve of Draco's robe and patted him cautiously. “Are you alright?”

Harry exchanged a puzzled look with Ron as Draco jumped at the light contact. “What's with him?”

Ron shrugged and whispered. “Dunno. I reckon Ginny didn't just bruise his balls when they had that scrap, she must've taken them right off.” He smirked. “What a wanker.”

Draco blinked at the worried face lifted to his and slowly leaned away from Connor. “Are you?” He looked at the hand on his arm and hesitantly touched it with his own. “I thought I'd frightened you.” He lowered his voice so that only Ginny and Connor could hear his next words. “Like last time.”

The light dawned in Ginny's eyes. “You twit!” She grabbed a handful of his robes and tugged him back onto his chair as she blushed furiously under Ron's speculative gaze. “Fresh start, remember? I just didn't want you getting a detention.”

“Oh dear, that is a pity.” Snape's silky voice made both of them jump guilty in their seats as he spoke from where he had been silently observing the exchange behind them. “Unfortunately you will be joining Miss Parkinson this evening in scrubbing this classroom from top to bottom under my supervision. I will not be questioned on my teaching methods by a student and I will certainly not allow my students to threaten each other. Please put away your wand, Draco, and make sure you both report to my classroom tonight at eight o'clock sharp.”

Ginny and Draco's eyes met in consternation for a moment before they both broke into wide grins. “Yes, Professor Snape.” They shifted in their seats and faced the front as Snape stalked to Anya's side to start his lesson. Draco waited until Snape had turned to point his wand at the blackboard and put Anya's name on there to introduce her, before leaning into Ginny and hissing from the corner of his mouth. “We'll get her tonight.”

Ginny's mouth twitched. “Absolutely.” She held her breath and inched across the hard wood of her seat until their robes brushed and she could feel the heat from his body. “Cold in here isn't it?”

Draco felt his jaw sag in surprise and risked a quick glance down at Ginny's bland expression. He allowed his body to sway a little more in her direction. “Very.” Their upper arms touched together and Draco swore he could hear the crackle of electricity at the contact. “Better?”

Ginny hooked her ankles around her chair legs and shifted with a quiet scrape until it touched Draco's “Much. Much, much better.”

Snape, resolutely ignoring the hormonal by-play in the front row, allowed his cold eyes to sweep the expectant classroom. “We are fortunate to have here with us today a guest speaker.” He gestured towards Anya looking pale and fragile in her chair. “This is Mrs Anya Harris; she is a vengeance demon also known by the name Anyanka. If you wish to avoid upsetting repercussions, then I would ask all of you to refrain from making a wish in her presence. It will not end well.” He turned in a swirl of robes to his chair at his desk. “Mrs Harris, if you would like to begin.”

Bundled in blankets and with her well-developed bump resting on her knees, Anya looked more likely to pull out some knitting and get cracking on a new pair of booties than to send a class full of forty teenagers screaming and ducking for cover but, by simply revealing her demon face, that is exactly what she did. Giggling and clutching her belly as she laughed, Anya winked at Dawn and the others. “Gets ‘em every time!”

Snape rolled his eyes. “I assure you that you are all quite safe.” There was a flicker of embarrassment on his face as he looked towards the back of the room. “Goyle, get off Bulstrode. If she wanted a mountain troll nesting in her lap, I'm sure she would have mentioned it by now.”

Anya concentrated and her demon face dissolved, leaving her amused human one behind. “It's alright, children. I am now on maternity leave. Until my spawn arrives, I have given notice that I will not be performing any vengeance spells.” Her eye caught on the Slytherin house badge on the breast of a girl seated at the front and she pursed her lips in recognition of the symbol that Dawn and Kit had described to her a couple of nights previously as she continued smoothly. “Unless absolutely necessary. Family and friends are the exception to that rule.” As the majority of the room leaned back as far as they could in their chairs, Anya turned to Snape. “Would you like me to give a brief talk on the vengeance I have wrought or just open the floor to questions? I have some visual aids if you would like the talk.”

Dawn tensed in her seat. “Uh-oh.”

Looking wary, Snape nodded. “I'm sure we could all benefit from learning more about your unique background.” He glanced over the top of Anya's head and saw Dawn frantically shaking hers and mouthing ‘Big mistake!' at him. He glowered and straightened his shoulders. “Certainly, please proceed. Do you require any assistance?”

“Nope.” Anya gestured to Hermione. “I brought my own. Hermione?”

Dawn relaxed slightly in her seat as Hermione stood with a wide smile and shuffled out to join Anya at the front of the room, secure in the knowledge that if her staid friend was involved things couldn't get too much out of control. Big mistake.

Anya settled back comfortably in her chair and folded her hands decorously on her lap. “Hermione and I have managed to create a spell that will show you certain images to demonstrate as I give my talk. Please refrain from asking any questions until the end.” Anya nodded to Hermione and began to speak. “I first became a vengeance demon over a thousand years ago when the man I lived with betrayed me with a wide-hipped serving wench. I started out using various low grade spells to take my revenge, nothing big; a few boils on the penis, a couple of nasal distortion spells.” Just behind Anya's head a four-foot by four-foot image appeared showing in vivid colour just how many boils one could fit on the average penis if one was motivated enough. To a man, every male in the classroom recoiled and crossed their legs. Anya grinned reminiscently. “But it was when I changed Olaf, that was the cheating peasant's name, by the way, when I changed Olaf into a troll that D'Hoffryn, the father of all vengeance demons, first became interested in me.”

The penis disappeared to be replaced by the marginally more palatable face of D'Hoffryn. Anya smiled fondly. “D'Hoffryn was so impressed with my transfiguration spell that he hired me on the spot and I became a vengeance demon for spurned woman everywhere. Wherever there was a woman on the face of the earth who had been betrayed by her man, I was there to ease her pain, to grant her one wish to enable her to take her vengeance.”

Hermione, muttering furiously under her breath to maintain the changing images behind Anya, winked at Dawn and the others as Anya happily continued. “In China in the sixteenth century there was a particularly unpleasant War Lord who insisted on having his pick of the female babies born to his chattels and binding their feet until they reached a suitable age to be forcibly mated with him. I was called upon by a most inventive young woman who had been crippled and then cast aside by this man and who wished for him to know the agony he had inflicted upon hundreds of women.” Audible gasps sounded all over the room as the image behind Anya changed once more. “Obviously it is impossible to show you the original warlord, but I believe this is a rough approximation of the vengeance exacted. Please note the expression of unbearable agony on his face as all his extremities are bound with living cloth and crushed mercilessly whilst he is repeatedly penetrated in two orifices by a pair of Gn'Arlyac demons. Unfortunately it is impossible to show the demons at their true size, nine foot tall full grown, but if you look closely you should be able to make out the metallic spines on their genitalia.” The image changed again and Anya chuckled fondly. “Now this is one of my favourites. This gentleman was particularly famous in Victorian England for a spate of murders in an area of London called Whitechapel. When I was summoned by a friend of the last victim, a young working girl by the name of Mary, I found myself in the rare position of extracting vengeance on a mortal more merciless and imaginative than myself. Now, if you'll look carefully at Jack's crotch you will see a small set of extremely sharp teeth. This is not the artist's error…”


	34. Chapter Twenty-Nine

The night after Anya's terrifying debut as a guest lecturer at Hogwarts, the Eight could be found ranged in a loose circle on their training room floor, eyes shut tight as they concentrated on the pulsing doorway of green light in the centre of their circle. Dawn slammed her fist onto the training mat she was sitting cross-legged on, her face tight with frustration as the portal winked out of existence. “Dammit, I can't do it!” She slapped at the goblet of cool water beside her and it flew across the room, liberally spraying Ron and Harry on the way. “Goddamit!”

Connor uncurled his own legs and moved behind Dawn to rub her shoulders soothingly. “It's ok, honey, we'll do better next time. Take it easy.”

Dawn twisted angrily out of his hands and scrambled to her feet. “Leave me alone!” She wrapped her arms around her waist and hugged herself tightly. “I can't do it. Everyone's relying on me to find Xander and I can't do it!” She looked around at her friends still seated in a rough circle on the mat. “We've been trying for weeks and we're not any closer to finding him and Anya's already seven months pregnant. We're running out of time.”

The silence in the training room, where the Eight had just spent another frustrating two hours combining their power as they had tried to track Xander inter-dimensionally, spoke volumes. Connor tried again. “Dawnie, we will find him.” He stood up and reached for his mate. “Come here, sweetie…”

“No.” Dawn stepped back out of reach. “You don't know that. We don't know that we're gonna find him. He might be lost forever and it's all my fault.” Her chest began to heave as she fought back guilty tears. “If I hadn't opened that stupid portal…”

“Then Hermione and Anya would be dead.” Ginny managed to get to her feet and swayed for a moment as the blood rushed back into her cramped limbs before putting her hands on her hips. “If I'd have moved that bit faster on the broom then I might have gotten Anya out of there. You don't have the monopoly on guilt, Dawn.”

Dawn blinked at Ginny's sharp tone. “I didn't mean that.” She bit her lip and looked miserably at Connor. “I just can't bear to think of Anya feeling the way I did when I thought you'd left me when I could do something to help her.” Her lip trembled as she whispered forlornly. “I felt so lost and alone.”

Connor hastened to take her into his arms and cuddled her close. “But I came back. You and the others made sure of that.” He wrapped his arms tightly around Dawn as she began to weep on his shoulder. “Xander will too. We're going to find him.”

Draco eased his cramping legs and carefully stood. “Certainly we will.” He smiled at Dawn as she raised her sticky face to look at him. “I, for one, want to see what's so bloody marvellous about this muggle that makes him worth all this time and effort.” He winked at the miserable looking Key with a grin. “And meet the mere mortal that manages to keep up with Anyanka. He must be a veritable stallion.”

Kit giggled from where she still sat on the floor. “Not exactly.” She pictured Xander's dopey grin in her head and felt a pang as it took a few seconds longer than it should have done to bring him clearly to mind. “More like a Shetland pony.”

Hermione scrubbed weary hands over her face and then accepted a goblet of water from Ron with a grateful smile. “I honestly don't know what else to try though. I've used every location spell I can think of and there's not enough magic in them to enable them to remain effective once they've passed through the portals Dawn creates. Even with all of our power behind them, they're pretty much useless.” She sipped her water and tried to smile encouragingly at Dawn's stricken face. “Maybe if we owled Willow she might be able to think of something else?”

Connor squeezed Dawn again. “Or we could send for Dru again. There might be something she could do.”

Dawn snuggled into his warm body and shook her head. “I don't think so. She came last time because she could sense that we needed her. We've got a connection because of what happened in the summer with Riley and because we're kinda family. All she ever did to Xander was try to eat him and then had one of her minions break his arm when Kendra was killed.” She sighed. “And if all Anya's demon friends are scouring the dimensions for him then I doubt Drusilla will be able to track him psychically.”

Ron rolled his head from side to side to ease the crick in his neck. “Got to be worth a shot though, right? We should try everything.”

“I suppose.” Dawn smiled wanly. “Thanks, guys. I'm sorry, everything's just getting on top of me, I guess.”

Harry untangled his prickling legs and knelt up, wincing as the pins and needles intensified. “Don't worry about it.” He braced his hands on the floor and got to his feet. “Does anyone feel like sparring for a while? I think I could use some exercise.”

Connor opened his mouth but was beaten to the punch by Kit. “Ok!” She smiled hopefully at Harry. “If that's ok with you?”

Ginny widened her eyes meaningfully at Hermione and jerked her head casually towards the door. “I'm shattered.” She stretched her arms above her head and yawned ostentatiously. “Gosh, exhausted in fact. I'm going to see if I can get Mum to make me some hot chocolate.”

Hermione looked puzzled and then understanding dawned. “Oh. Oh. Good idea.” She faked a considerably less convincing yawn than Ginny. “Mmm. Sleepy.”

Ron peered uncertainly at the dark winter sky outside. “It's still early.” His eyebrows drew together in concern. “Are you two coming down with something?” He looked his sister and secret girlfriend up and down pointedly. “If you wore more clothes then you wouldn't be getting ill.”

Hermione and Ginny stopped looking tired and started looking annoyed. “What's wrong with what we're wearing?” Ginny looked at Hermione in her close fitting training top and sweats and then down at herself wearing much the same. “We're wearing what Kit and Dawn are.”

All eyes swung to Kit and Dawn, indeed wearing tight fitting tops and soft pants that showed their curves nicely. Ron raised a condescending eyebrow. “I see that.” He pointed out the window where a cold winter shower was just starting. “And a barely there cotton t-shirt is so suitable for a Hogwarts winter.”

Draco smirked at Connor and muttered. “Works for me.”

Connor stroked the soft curve of Dawn's hip in her sweats and nodded in agreement. “Oh yeah. No complaints here.”

Dawn sniffed back the last of her tears and glared at Ron. “Whereas you never take the opportunity to show off your bulging biceps, huh?” She stared just as pointedly at the fours boys that wore a variety of t-shirts, the material clinging softly to their muscles. “You're a real wallflower, buddy.”

Ron flushed under Dawn's knowing look. “I'm warm blooded, I get hot quickly.” He turned his back on her as she smirked disbelievingly and changed the subject. “Anyway, I'm not tired, I want to train.”

At Kit's stricken look, Hermione took a firm grip on Ron's arm. “No, you don't.” She led him quickly to the door. “You want to come with me to see Hagrid. Outside.” When Ron still looked mutinous, Hermione huffed impatiently. “Because we haven't seen him on our own for ages.”

“Oh.” Ron grinned and nodded in understanding. “Right. On our own. Yeah.” He followed Hermione happily out of the door. “See you later!”

Draco rolled his eyes at Dawn and Connor. “Do they seriously think they're fooling anybody with that nonsense?” He caught Harry and Ginny's puzzled expressions out of the corner of his eye and laughed. “Except their closest friends and relatives, of course.”

“What?” Harry looked at the door and then back at Draco. “What nonsense?”

Draco bent to pick up a discarded stake and walked over to the wall to replace it on the weapons rack there. “The we're-just-good-friends-and-not-sucking-the-face-off-each-other-every-chance-we-get nonsense, of course.” He turned back to the room at large and threw up his hands in exasperation. “You must have noticed the oh-so-sly winks and incredibly simple code they've been using?” He braced his hands on his hips as Ginny and Harry continued to stare at him in bewilderment. “And the fact that when they spend anytime alone together they both come back appearing to have been smacked in the mouths their lips are so swollen?” Draco watched as Ginny's face scrunched up adorably as she considered his words and sighed. “And let's not forget they can't go five minutes without brushing up against each other and blushing like complete fools. They're knocking boots, people.”

Connor shook his head. “No, they're not, not yet anyway.” He tapped his now infamous nose meaningfully. “I know these things.”

Dawn slapped his arm. “But you suck at passing them on! How long have you known about this?”

Connor ducked another light slap and looked hurt. “You knew!”

“Duh! I knew they had the hots for each other, I didn't know they'd done anything about it.” Dawn narrowed her eyes. “I can't believe you didn't tell me!”

“It wasn't his secret to tell.” Draco looked soberly at the room and then broke into a huge grin. “But happily, I don't care about all that clap-trap. The Weasel's finally getting lucky, good on him. Who wants to get something to eat?”

Harry still looked stunned. “I knew that Ron still liked Hermione, but I had no idea that she liked him back.” He stared at Draco. “And how come you knew?”

Fast losing interest in the conversation, Draco sighed impatiently. “Because I have my bespectacled head rammed so far up my self-involved arse I can see daylight coming the other way.” He paused. “No, wait, that's you. For Merlin's sake who cares what they're getting up to anyway? If they need a little extra excitement creeping around and keeping it secret then I say good luck to them, now can we please get some food?”

Ginny shook her head. “I didn't have a clue…”

“I know, aren't they clever?” Draco herded her towards the door insistently. “I'm completely in awe of their ability to pull the wool over everyone's blind, and possibly concussed, eyes. The kitchen might be able to put together that burger thing we had in London if we go down and explain it to them in small, easily understood words. Con, are you coming?”

Connor nodded and sidled in Draco's wake gratefully. “Right behind you.” He swallowed nervously at Dawn's still mightily annoyed expression. “Let's go.”

Harry stood and watched Dawn stomp after her mate with a thunderous expression and then turned to Kit. “Did you know?”

“Well, I had an idea something was going on.” Kit shrugged ruefully and admitted with a smile. “But that could be because I had to hide under my own bed for half an hour the other day when they thought we were all with Anya and were making out in the bedroom.”

“I can't believe no one said anything!” Harry's voice rose in an almost petulant wail. “They're meant to be my best friends.”

Kit cocked her head to the side and blinked. “So, what's changed? They're still your friends and they're still friends with each other.” She giggled as she remembered some of the noises she had heard whilst lying on the cold floor under her bed. “Trust me, they're very friendly.”

Harry stared at her for a moment before turning away and marching to the rack where the training staffs were kept. “Fine. Whatever. Are you ready?”

“Harry, are you ok?” Kit hurried after him, genuinely puzzled by the cold, distant tone in his voice. “You're not really upset are you?”

Harry tugged two staffs from the rack and eyed one of the animated training dummies before turning to Kit. “Look, why don't you go and get something to eat with the others? I don't really feel like company at the moment. See you later.” He smiled tightly. “Go on.”

Kit's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “Excuse me?” She slapped her hands on her hips as Harry opened his mouth to repeat himself and spat. “What am I, a pet dog? Who the hell do you think you are speaking to me like that?”

Harry's eyes flickered uncertainly for a moment before he shrugged. “I just meant that I'd rather be on my own at the moment.”

“Oh you would, would you?” Kit stalked forward and snatched one of the staffs from Harry's hands. “Well, for some strange reason, I now feel like kicking the crap out of you so that's not gonna happen.”

  
  
Trying to suppress the growing tide of irritation inside him, Harry narrowed his eyes. “What's got into you?” He gritted his teeth and muttered. “It's not like your best friends have been keeping secrets from you.”

“Oh, boo hoo.” Kit slammed the tip of her staff onto the ground and tilted her chin challengingly, conveniently ignoring the fact that she was seriously considering cracking open the head of the boy that she had spent the last few weeks dreaming about every night. “Poor you. How you must have suffered. I take it that it hasn't occurred to you that the reason they haven't told you is because they felt they couldn't?”

Harry looked startled. “What? You're making this my fault?” He drew himself up to his full height and scowled. “Ron and Hermione sneaking about and lying to everyone is my fault?

“Well, yeah!” Kit eyed him up and down scathingly. “And don't think that trying to loom over me is going to frighten me off. I'm from the Hellmouth and I know Rupert Giles, the frosty English thing is so not the way to go.” She stepped forward and borrowed one of Cordelia's favourite moves to begin poking him sharply in the chest. “You're acting like a little kid and now you have the nerve to order me around just because you wanna have some one-on-one quality sulking time? Ha! Think again, buddy.”

The room echoed as Harry slapped sharply at Kit's hand. “Stop bloody poking me!” He pushed past her and then threw the staff he carried as hard as he could at the wall. “You don't know anything. This is bloody typical of them.”

Heroically resisting the urge to beat him senseless now that he was unarmed and couldn't defend himself, Kit stomped her foot in frustration and shouted. “So tell me. Stop being all reserved and British and tell me what's so bad about Ron and Hermione keeping their private life private.” Actually trembling with frustration and rage, Kit stormed after Harry and tugged his arm to swing him round to face her. “Where's it written down that they have to tell you every goddamn thing that goes on in their lives?”

Harry tugged his arm from her hand and yelled angrily. “Don't be bloody stupid, of course they don't have to do that.” He pushed a hand through his unruly hair, making it stick up on end and tried to lower his voice. “Of course they don't have to do that.”

“Great, so we both agree that they're allowed a private life.” Kit dropped her staff on the floor and thus removed the still strong temptation to hit Harry with it. “So what about this whole situation has bitten you on the ass then?”

“We said we wouldn't keep anymore secrets from each other!” Harry's voice roared out into the cavernous room and his green eyes sparked with fury. “They promised that they wouldn't leave me out anymore and then I find out from Draco Malfoy of all people that they've been lying to me for who the sodding hell knows how long!”

Kit stared at him for a long moment before shaking her head in disgust. “You absolute child. Are you hearing yourself? With everything that's been going on you're pissed that Draco noticed something about your friends that you didn't pick up on yourself?” She folded her arms and glared. “He was right, you are totally self-involved.”

“You have no idea what my life is like.” Beside himself with anger, Harry clenched his hands into fists. “The two people I counted on most in the world…”

Kit's temper shattered with an almost audible snap. “GET OVER IT!” She planted both hands on his chest and shoved with all her might to send him stumbling back. “I'll tell you what your problem is, pal, you're jealous.” Without giving Harry a chance to speak she shoved him back again. “You've spent too long being told you're the centre of the world and you've started to believe your own hype. Well, guess what? There's seven other saviours of the goddamn world here now and it's stopped revolving around you. If Ron and Hermione have something going on and they don't want to tell you then too damn bad. It's not your business, it's theirs and you have no right to try and muscle in on something that doesn't have a thing to do with you.” Chest heaving and her hair crackling around her face with electric rage, Kit sucked in a breath and shouted. “Grow up.”

Harry was speechless. Kit stood before him, bright red with anger and a small speck of spittle on her bottom lip that had escaped during her tirade and his chest hurt from her pokes and prods but he could think of nothing to say. He blinked in wide-eyed shock and opened and closed his mouth as his throat worked but still the words wouldn't come. Kit snorted. “Hello? I said grow up not shut up. You had plenty to say a minute ago.”

Harry shook his head and whispered the first thing that came into his head. “I'm not a child.”

“I call ‘em like I see ‘em.” Kit made a huge effort and lowered her voice to just loud instead of a bellow. “You need to take a time out and just think about this for a moment. I'm sure Ron and Hermione didn't do this to hurt you.”

Nevertheless, hurt was definitely what Harry was. His face worked for a long moments before he muttered. “Maybe not, but I'm sick and tired of people deciding whether or not I can handle being told the truth about stuff.” The tenseness drained out of his body a little and his shoulders slumped. “It's no fun being the last to know.”

Kit nodded. “Ok, I get that, I do; but I still don't see why this has you so wound up.” She flung exasperated hands in the air. “Surely you've got more on your mind than who's making out with who?”

Harry flashed a reluctant smile at her words. “Of course I do. It's just…” He searched for the right words and said in a rush. “The last time they kept secrets from me, I ended up spending the entire summer alone with the Dursleys and then being brought up on charges by the Ministry. I was completely in the dark about what was going on and Voldemort had just risen and…” He looked down as Kit took one of his hands in both of hers and squeezed tightly. “What?”

“You're not alone now.” Kit's dark eyes shone with sudden understanding. “You've got the rest of us and you don't have to go back to the Dursleys. You don't have to stay on the sidelines ever again.”

Harry looked wordlessly into her earnest eyes and felt the knot of hurt and tension inside him begin to loosen. Her fingers felt warm against his skin and his heart began to race as he realised, for possibly the first time in his life, someone actually understood just where he was coming from. He shifted in sudden shame at his immature outburst and muttered. “Did I hurt you?”

Kit frowned in confusion. “What?”

Harry brought his other hand up from his side and lightly touched the back of her hand. “I slapped you. I'm sorry.”

“Oh.” Kit glanced down at her hand still frowning and then realised what he was talking about. “Right. Got it.” She smiled. “Nah, Hellmouth chick, remember? I didn't even feel it.”

Harry forced a laugh. “Well, I'm sorry anyway.” He slipped his hands around hers and squeezed. “And I'm sorry for talking to you like that. I shouldn't have taken it out on you.”

Kit smiled and stepped closer, her dark eyes caught by his ashamed green ones. “It's ok. You needed to let off steam and that's what friends are for.” Her upper body swayed fractionally forward. “And that's what we are, isn't it? Friends.”

Harry's eyes dropped to her slightly open mouth and he licked his suddenly dry lips, Ron and Hermione's snogging arrangements forgotten at the sudden change in atmosphere. “Yeah. Friends.” Draco's advice in the common room ringing in his ears, Harry inched closer, alert to any signs that Kit was just being nice and he was completely mis-reading the sudden change in atmosphere. “Definitely.”

Kit was terrified that her heart was about to pound right out of her chest as Harry took a deep breath and slowly inclined his head towards hers. His eyes were wide with uncertainty behind his glasses as he came closer and Kit found that her own eyes were shutting in unbearable anticipation waiting for the first touch of his mouth. “Kit…”

“Harry, there's an owl downstairs…Bloody hell!” Ron stood just inside the door, dressed in his outside robes and jaw hanging open in surprise. Harry hurriedly let go of Kit's hands as they both jumped apart and stared guiltily at the door. Ron looked back and forth between the two scarlet faces. “Sorry! Um, we were just going outside and the letter arrived. I thought I'd better let you know before we… er…went to…um…”

“Went to see Hagrid?” Kit's fists bunched into two frustrated balls and she glared furiously at her friend. “That's where you were going, remember?”

“Right. Right.” Ron's head bobbed gratefully up and down in agreement and then he registered the look on Kit's face. “Right. I'll be…er…going then.” The door closed and then opened again as Ron popped his head back in and darted a look of incredulous admiration at Harry. “Sorry about that.”

Kit breathed a sigh of relief when the door shut behind Ron and turned back to Harry. Who was no longer there. “Harry?” She watched in disbelief as he nearly sprinted to the door and flung it open. “Where are you going?”

Harry looked back at Kit as she stood bewildered in the middle of the training room, the moment having been well and truly ruined by Ron. His cheeks heated up again as he realised that he had been inches away from making a complete idiot of himself before Ron had burst into the room. He mentally slapped himself on the forehead; she'd even said that they were just friends right before he nearly kissed her. How stupid could he be?

“Harry?” Kit took a step forward and stared as Harry leapt backwards out of the door. “Where are you going?”

“I'd better go and see if that letter's important.” Harry gave her a sickly grin and waved. “Thanks for everything, I feel a lot better now.” He edged out of sight. “I'll maybe see you at dinner…”

“What?” Kit ran for the door and just caught a glimpse of Harry pelting down the stairs to the common room and the safety of the rest of his house members. She slapped a frustrated hand against the doorjamb. “Well, shit.” She kicked the wall for good measure. “Ron Weasley, you're a dead man.”

“Good girl.” Draco came out of his room and clapped Kit on the shoulder as he heard her last remark. “That's the spirit.” He peered at her annoyed face in the dim light of the corridor. “Oh dear, what's happened now? Has he switched his attention from Granger and trying to force his over-freckled carcass onto you?”

Kit scowled and then her expression changed, as she looked Draco thoughtfully up and down. “You're a guy, right?”

Startled Draco raised an eyebrow. “What gave me away? The rugged good looks, the deep manly voice, the…Oi!” He stumbled as Kit gripped a handful of his robes and yanked him inside the training room before slamming the door shut again. “I'm not bloody snogging you!”

“Eww.” Kit scrunched up her nose and ignored Draco's annoyed look at her lack of enthusiasm. “No, thanks, I prefer my guys much less blond and bitchy.” She linked her arm companionably through his. “What I need is some advice.”

  
  
  


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By unspoken agreement no one mentioned to Ron and Hermione that their secret was out in the open when they finally came back from ‘visiting' Hagrid just before curfew. Harry was careful to avoid all eye contact with Kit, who sat with Ginny and Dawn as they leafed idly through a bunch of magazines that Buffy and Cordelia had sent from London and cast critical eyes over the latest fashions. Connor and Draco had gone off together to find Connor's owl Useless so they could send a brief note to their parents confirming that Molly had agreed to change their training room into a makeshift dorm at Christmas so they could all be together. All of them looked up as Molly and Liz came through the common room door, shivering from the chill in the outside corridor.

“Alright, Mum?” Ginny got to her feet and tossed the heavy magazine she had been reading onto the sofa behind her. “Do you want a cup of tea?”

“Thanks, love.” Molly gave her daughter a grateful smile and hurried to the roaring fire to warm her cold hands. “It's absolutely freezing in the main part of the school. You'd think with all the witches and wizards here someone would think to cast a quick heating charm over the place.”

Liz unwound her scarf from around her neck as she joined Molly by the fire and shivered in her blue parka jacket. “Haven't you people heard of radiators?” She put her hands as close as she could to the flames without actually setting fire to herself and groaned as her flesh began to sing with heat. “Oh, that feels good.”

Molly chuckled as the other woman's eyes rolled in her head with pleasure and then glanced over her shoulder at her daughter. “Have the children been alright?”

Ginny nodded as she busied herself gathering cups and the necessary paraphernalia for their nightly cup of tea. “No problems. Sara woke up for her feed and dropped straight back off to sleep. Haven't heard a peep out of the boys.”

“Good.” Having been called to a late meeting of the Hogwarts staff, Molly and Liz had been forced to leave their young charges in the hands of the Eight and were both slightly shamed to admit that they had been more than a little concerned at what they would find when they came back. With another sigh, Molly toed off her shoes and glanced around for her fluffy slippers, smiling at Ron as he waved his wand and floated them over to her. “Thank you, dear.”

“No worries, Mum.” Ron grinned as Molly wiggled her feet into the pink, threadbare shoes and asked with a slight air of concern. “Did Dumbledore say have anything to say that we should be worried about?”

Liz and Molly dropped down side by side onto the sofa and gratefully accepted the large mugs of steaming tea Ginny gave them. Liz sipped at the scalding liquid and then realised that no one had answered Ron's question. “Sorry.” She took another sip of tea and then cradled it carefully in her hands. “No, it was mainly about the plans for the holidays.”

Kit frowned. “What about them?” She looked uneasily at her mother. “He hasn't cancelled Christmas, has he?”

Molly choked on her tea at the sudden stricken looks adorning the teenager's faces. “No, don't be silly.” She shook her head in amusement, as the stricken looks faded to be replaced by ones of excitement. “You're all still such children.” Harry flinched as though he'd been struck and Kit cringed as she remembered her earlier furious accusation but fortunately Molly carried on without noticing their reactions. “Professor Dumbledore has decided that the usual celebrations will continue. Apparently the fact that our world is facing possibly its worst crisis since our history began is no reason not to have a party.”

“Too right.” Ron rubbed his hands together. “Turkey and Christmas pudding here I come!”

Dawn laughed at the rapturous expression on his face and nodded in agreement. “It'll do everyone good to relax for a few hours. Nothing like a good party to remind people of what they're fighting for.”

Liz smiled as Dawn began to bounce with excitement. “Which is exactly what Professor Dumbledore said. He's having two feasts, one for all the students and professors and one for all the refugees.” She glanced at Molly questioningly and the older woman nodded with a smile. “There's also going to be a dance on Christmas Eve for the older students and anyone from the camp that wants to come.”

“Whoo-hoo!” Dawn threw her magazine in the air and clapped her hands together. “New dresses! And Connor will look so hot in a tux.”

The smile faded from Ginny's face as she realised that for a dance you needed a partner. A nervous hand came up to finger her scar and she ducked her head to allow her hair to swing over her face. Ron shot a quick look at Hermione and thought fast. “Yeah, we'll have a great laugh all going together. Worked out pretty well that we're half boys, half girls, right? No messing about with all that asking people to go with you stuff.” He carried on; blithely unaware of the sudden cold looks he was receiving from the females. “If worst comes to worst and we have to walk in with someone, I can take Hermione and Harry can take Kit.” He stared at his sister for a moment before shrugging. “You'll just have to go with Draco, Gin. You're the only one left.”

“The only one left for what?” Connor shut the common room door behind him and waved as he shrugged off his robe. “What's going on?”

Ginny felt her face flame scarlet under Draco's scrutinising eyes as Ron explained matter-of-factly. “Oh, there's going to be a dance in school for Christmas. I was just saying that it works out alright for us that we've already got our partners right here.” He ruffled his sister's hair affectionately. “It's not like anyone else will go with us, right Gin?”

“Ron!” Dawn smacked his arm as Ginny scrambled up and muttered she was tired before running for the stairs. “You complete idiot.”

Ron blinked as his mother and Hermione both shot him a poisonous look. “What? What did I say?”

“For God's sake, Ron, you know how she is about her face.” Hermione put aside her own outrage at Ron's lack of sensitivity to her and focused on the outrage on Ginny's behalf. “You made it sound like Draco would have to go with her because no one else would!”

“No, I didn't.” Ron thought about it and then winced in distress. “I didn't mean it like that. I meant that no one else in school would touch her and me with a barge pole. We all know that Mr-bloody-marvellous over there only has to snap his fingers to get the girls falling at his feet.” His mouth widened in an ‘oh' of understanding and he cringed again under the furious looks from all corners of the room repeating weakly. “I didn't mean it like that.”

Draco fought the urge to launch himself at Ron with fists flying and muttered to Connor. “I'll cut his head off, you go dig the grave.” He tried to swallow the anger that rose like bile in his throat at the thought that her mentally deficient brother might have wrecked all his progress with Ginny. “Fucking idiot.”

Connor gave him a sympathetic look. “You'd better go talk to her. Make it right.”

“How?” Draco's face twisted in fury. “How on earth am I going to talk her round now?” He caught Ron getting to his feet from the corner of his eye and spat. “I think you've done enough damage, Weasel. Stay there, I'll go up.” Ignoring the startled room, Draco stormed towards the stairs without bothering to remove his own cloak. “You bloody twat.”

Ron turned to his mother in protest, only to find she was nodding in emphatic agreement with Draco's assessment of the situation. “Ronald Weasley, you idiot.”

  
  


* * *

Draco took several calming breaths outside of the girls' dorm before he tapped lightly upon it. “Go away, Ron.” Ginny's voice was muffled as it came through the door, but the firm order was crystal clear. “I'm tired.”

Draco tapped again and then pushed open the door a crack. “It's not Ron. It's me, can I come in?”

There was a long pause and then Ginny's voice came again. “I'm in bed, Draco. I'll see you in the morning.”

Draco almost turned away but then he registered the slight hitch in Ginny's voice as she finished speaking and pushed the door fully open. Ginny gaped at him as he nodded to himself to see her huddled on the window seat, still fully dressed.

“Thought so.” Careful to leave the door open behind him, Draco walked in and sat himself at the other end of the window seat, resolutely ignoring her wet, reddened eyes and sad face. “Look you don't have to be embarrassed.” Trusting his innately devious Slytherin instincts Draco opened his mouth and let himself go. “I know that you don't want to go with me and it was wrong of Ron to try and force you into it.” He leaned forward and punched her knee chummily. “I'm a big boy, Ginny, I don't need you to hold my hand and help me save face.”

“Wh…what?” Ginny's eyes widened as he grinned at her and she tried to make sense of what he was saying. “I don't understand…”

Exuding good-natured resignation from every pore, Draco grinned. “Just because I'm a bit of a spare part around here, it doesn't mean that you have to give me some kind of pity date or anything. Ron should have never have mentioned it. I'm quite happy to go on my own or with Dawn and Connor, I'm sure they won't mind. You'll want to get your own date, I quite understand.”

Ginny blinked stupidly at him and thought that it was good one of them understood what was going on because she was clueless. Draco cocked his head thoughtfully to the side and stared at the floor for a moment before shrugging. “I'll probably just show my face and then have an early night anyway. Dawn and Connor could use a night to themselves and I'm not really one for people en masse.”

“You can't spend Christmas on your own.” Ginny, having grown up in the loving, raucous Weasley household, was appalled at the very thought. “That's terrible!”

Draco was very careful not to overplay the look of hesitation on his face before giving her a big obviously fake smile. “I'll be fine. Angel and Cordelia will be here for the day itself and it's just one night.” He nodded to her and got to his feet. “Anyway, I won't take up anymore of your time; I just wanted to let you know you're off the hook.”

Ginny sat frozen for a moment as he walked towards the door and then scrambled off the seat. “Draco, wait.” She smiled timidly as he turned to face her. “If you want to go to the party, I really don't mind going with you. I just thought that you might…prefer to take someone else.” Her hands twisted together as she waited nervously for his response and she couldn't quite make herself meet his eyes.

“What one of those giggling twits that keep following me all over the place?” Draco's face twisted with his first genuine expression since he'd walked into the room, absolute revulsion, and he said plaintively “I thought you didn't hate me anymore!”

Ginny couldn't help the laugh at his words. “I don't hate you.” She took a deep breath. “If you're sure you don't want to take someone else, then I'll be happy to go with you, if you want.”

Draco suppressed the urge to flash a triumphant grin and instead shook his head reluctantly. “Ginny, really, you don't have to do this; I'll be fine. I know things are easier between us now, especially after detention with Pansy yesterday, but you don't have to do this. ”

“Oh no, honestly, I really want to.” Ginny's eyes widened earnestly as she heard the embarrassed tone in his voice. “Really.” She grinned as she remembered the previous night's detention. After a quick chat with Hermione, and five minutes alone in the dungeon while everyone else was at dinner and Connor kept look out, the two of them had enjoyed a most entertaining two hours watching Pansy squeal and scream as images of spiders, snakes and all manner of creepy crawlies had leapt out at her thanks to some quick modifications of the spell Hermione had used for Anya's lecture and a minor locating spell. Even when Snape had resorted to confiscating Draco and Ginny's wands in an effort to make it stop, the spell had still run on for another forty minutes before the final spider had leapt straight for Pansy's face and clung there as she collapsed in terrified hysteria to the floor. Even though Snape had given them both another week of detentions each, Ginny and Draco had agreed the punishment was more than worth watching Pansy writhing on the floor and Snape yelling at her fruitlessly before catching a boot to his kneecap as her legs flailed in her panic.

“Well.” Draco chewed his lip and looked over his shoulder at the door before nodding stiffly. “Ok, if you're sure. It's very generous of you.” He gave her a grateful smile and raised his hand in farewell. “I'd better let you get some sleep. See you in the morning.” Managing to keep his humble expression on his face until he was out in the corridor and the door was safely shut behind him, he turned to Connor and Dawn shamelessly eavesdropping to the left. “You know, for two stealthy warrior-types you make an awful lot of noise. I'm amazed she didn't hear the giggling.”

Connor grinned. “That was Dawn. I'm a man, I chuckle.”

“Uh-huh, you're a manly man alright.” Dawn tugged Draco down the corridor towards the boys' dormitory and out of earshot of her own room. “You rule. That was just inspired.”

Looking desperately pleased with himself, Draco smirked. “I have my moments.” He glanced back towards the girls' bedroom. “You don't think I laid it on a bit thick?”

“Are you kidding me?” Connor punched his brother's arm lightly. “Making her ask you was genius. That was fantastic.”

“It was rather, wasn't it?” Looking relieved, Draco leaned up against the wall and sighed with pride. “You know, sometimes I amaze even myself.”

Dawn grinned wistfully. “I sure could have done with you in Sunnydale when I was growing up.” Her eyes glazed over. “Together we'd have been unstoppable.”

Connor slipped an arm around her waist and squeezed as he beamed merrily at Draco. “Just think of the damage we can do now there's three of us.”

“Four.” Draco grinned back. “Don't forget Kit.”

“As if.” Dawn rubbed her hands together gleefully. “I can't wait until the guys get here, we're gonna have some fun that's for sure.” She blinked suddenly. “Oh no! I have to owl Buffy.”

“What's up, sweetie?” Connor found himself clutching fresh air where Dawn had stood moments before. “What's wrong?”

Dawn turned to stride off down the corridor. “I haven't got anything to wear. It's like two weeks away and I've just got some ratty old robes and some pants. We need to go shopping again.”

“No we don't!” Connor paled as he put two and two together and realised he was going to putting in some serious bag-boy time in the near future. “Whatever you wear will be fine. Dawn.” He watched as Dawn ignored him and fled downstairs to rally the shopping troops. “Goddamnit!”

Draco laughed at the look of consternation on Connor's face. “Wait till you see what you have to wear. If you think the school robes are bad, just wait until you see the dress robes.” He shuddered dramatically. “The lace chafes your neck terribly.”

“I am NOT wearing lace.” Connor folded his arms and glared. “And there's not a thing on this planet that can make me.”

“And as for the dancing….” Enjoying himself tremendously, Draco sauntered after

Dawn.

“Oh no. No WAY.” Connor scuttled after Draco with a haunted expression. “Don't even think about it, buddy. I kill things, not tango with them.” He caught Draco's arm and pulled him to a stop to whine. “I can't dance!”

“Oh dear.” Looking more amused by the minute, Draco patted Connor's shoulder consolingly. “You will be in a pickle. You can't dance, you don't like lace…” He cracked an evil grin. “This is shaping up to be the best school dance ever.”


	35. Chapter Thirty

Christmas Eve rolled around in a flurry of end of term papers and exhausted owls that were kept in almost constant flight between Hogwarts and London as Durus Cateanus were forced to shop by mail order for their presents, thanks to Hogsmeade now being a virtual ghost town after the attack by Lord Voldemort at Halloween. Roberto and Luca, whilst not completely clear on the concept of Christmas, had gleaned enough information to know that they could expect a lot of shiny new toys in the near future and drove everyone mad following them around demanding to know if it was time for the presents yet.

Molly and Liz were caught up in trying to organise a party on Christmas Eve afternoon for the refugee children and were also on their last nerves thanks to the air of mystery and secrecy that permeated their quarters thanks to everyone determined to keep their gifts to each other top secret until Christmas morning. Frequent cries of ‘Get out!' and ‘Don't look, don't look!' sounded in the air until on the morning of Christmas Eve Molly could no longer take it and ordered everyone under the age of thirty out into the grounds for a long walk before she stunned the lot of them and kept them unconscious until New Year's Day. Which was how Draco Angel nee Malfoy found himself pushing a muggle stroller past the Hogwarts lake, whilst trying to shake a manically excited two year old off his leg.

“Look, you little worm, if you don't get lost I'm going to feed you to the monster.” Draco halted, grabbed Luca by the scruff of the neck and pointed to the middle of the water where the top of a huge head was just visible. “See? Great big teeth and a very fragile body. Chomp, chomp.”

Luca dangled happily from Draco's fist and clapped his hands together. “Catch! Catch!”

“Connor!” Draco looked for his brother, who was chasing Roberto, flapping the ends of his robe like big wings and growling like a maniac. “Come and take this, will you? He wants to play catch and if I do it with him he's definitely going to end up being tossed in the lake.”

Connor paused in chasing Roberto and waved to Luca. “Do you want to play, Luca?” He grinned as the toddler squealed with excitement and held out his hand invitingly. “Come on then. Come to Connor.”

Draco lowered the little boy to the floor and watched as he took off with a scream towards Connor. He glanced down at Sara, cooing happily to herself within her nest of blankets and scowled. “And don't think that you're fooling me with that wide-eyed innocent routine, girl. I can feed you to the monster just as easily, you know.” Sara blew an unconcerned bubbled and blinked up at the grey sky. Draco narrowed his eyes. “Just try me and see, you mobile bag of vomit.” He gripped the handle of the stroller again and marched off towards Connor and the boys with as much dignity as he could muster.

Ten paces behind, Dawn, Ginny, and Hermione strolled alongside Kit as she pushed a well-wrapped up Anya in her wheelchair and tried to keep their laughter muffled as they watched Draco and Connor battle to control the hyper children. “Are we sure it's a good idea to have those two in charge of the kids?” Dawn sucked in a breath as Connor began to juggle the two yelling children through the air, secure in the knowledge that Molly probably couldn't see him from the castle and therefore beat him senseless with the nearest heavy object. “Why couldn't we have sent them to visit Hagrid with Ron and Harry?”

Hermione determinedly ignored the delighted squeals of the two little boys and kept her eyes firmly on the ground. “Because Fang would have slobbered all over them and Hagrid would have tried to feed them something foul.” She wrapped her scarf more securely around her neck and added as an afterthought. “And you never know just what vicious creature Hagrid's picked up this week from one of his cronies. The last thing we need is to have him arrested on Christmas Eve for letting a dragon take a chunk out of a child's leg.”

“And I offered to let them push me in my wheelchair, but they declined when I wanted to discuss the most uncomfortable night I had with the baby kicking my bladder.” Anya shifted slightly in her chair with a wince. “It was a most disappointing response; they are much more aesthetically pleasing to look at than you girls.”

Dawn laughed. “That explains Draco nearly mowing me down to get to the stroller then. I thought he was possessed for a minute.”

Ginny shivered as a cold gust of wind whipped her robe up around her waist. “Oh don't, he's really trying.” She let her eyes rest on Draco for a minute as he stood impatiently tapping his foot watching Connor and the boys play. “I think he's really good with them.”

Hermione snorted. “Ginny, just because he's stopped hiding their toys and telling them that the monster under their beds will eat them if they don't go to sleep the minute their heads hit the pillow, it doesn't make him good with children.”

Kit huffed as she put all her weight behind the chair as the ground began to climb in a slight incline. “It worked didn't it?” She nodded gratefully as Dawn moved to help her. “I'm just grateful we don't have kids popping out of the woodwork every five minutes asking for juice and cookies.”

“I think he is ideal as a babysitter.” Anya sniffed as her pink-tipped nose began to run. “The combination of ruthlessness and minor cruelty is essential in dealing with small children. I have read many books and they all say that children need discipline, I am looking forward to providing it.”

Still pushing the chair together, Dawn and Kit exchanged a worried look and winced at Anya's idea of discipline. Somehow they didn't think it would involve a time out and a ban on TV for a couple of nights. Hermione coughed. “Yes, well.” She looked around for a change of subject. “Oh look, there's Lavender and Pavarti.” Over the other side of the lake Lavender and Pavarti stopped dead in their stroll, stared at the small group, exchanged looks and then turned smartly on their heel and walked off in the opposite direction. Hermione frowned. “Well that was rude. So much for the season of goodwill.”

Ginny glanced down at Anya and smiled to herself. Bad news, like an on-hiatus vengeance demon travelled fast, and she'd noticed that the rest of the school had gone even further out of their way to avoid their house since word of Anya's now legendary DADA lesson had gone round the school. Rumour had it that Dumbledore and Snape were still receiving up to ten complaint letters a day from furious parents and some of the more delicate students were still having nightmares from some of the more graphic images that were shown. The smile melted as Ginny saw Anya shift uncomfortably again. “Are you ok? Do you want to go back inside?”

A brief frown flickered over Anya's face as she rubbed thoughtfully at her belly. “I'm fine. I believe I'm experiencing some kind of indigestion.” The hand that had been rubbing her belly slipped awkwardly around her body as she tried to reach the small of her back. “All over indigestion. No doubt the bracing air will help.”

Careful to keep her expression neutral, Ginny signalled to Dawn and Kit to halt their uphill struggle and bent over Anya under the pretence of tucking her blankets more firmly around her. “You're probably right.” She glanced casually at Anya's face and took in the clammy sweat at her brow and the frantically beating pulse at her throat. “All the same, we'd better be heading back soon. It's cold out here and it isn't healthy for the kids. I vote we make Connor and Draco take them into the Great Hall to see the Christmas decorations and we slip off to have some warm drinks back in the Infirmary.”

Hermione looked down at Ginny in concern and then at Kit and Dawn who were looking worried. “Ok. I'll go and let the boys know.” She darted an anxious look at Anya and then bustled off.

Taking her cue from Ginny, Dawn nodded. “Yeah. A hot drink sounds great about now.” She patted Anya's shoulder with a nervous hand. “I bet that'll help.” She saw Connor and Draco listening carefully to Hermione in the distance and then turn and stare across at them before grabbing Roberto and Luca and push the stroller at breakneck speed towards them. “We'll just take a slow walk back.”

Anya raised an eyebrow as she watched the high-speed approach of Connor and Draco. “They must be really desperate to show the children that Christmas tree, I can't even see their legs move.” She tried to ease the ache in her back. “Is there something wrong?”

Dawn smiled reassuringly. “Of course not.” She took Anya's thin hand in hers, squeezing lightly as she said in reassurance. “Of course not.”

  
  
  


* * *

“I'm sorry.” Madam Pomfrey turned from the small porcelain sink in her private office and took the towel that Ginny held out to her. “There's nothing I can do for her. The baby's head is engaged and her waters have broken, she will have the child today.”

Dawn shook her head pleadingly. “There must be something you can do, please.” She gripped Connor's arm tight enough to leave bruises. “She's only just seven months; she can't have the baby yet.”

A look of profound sympathy flashed across the older witch's face. “I'm truly sorry. She's done well to get this far along in the pregnancy. We've been prepared for this eventuality ever since Mrs Harris came to us and will do everything we can to ensure the health of the mother and child.”

Helplessness and terror made Kit snap tartly. “Anya. Her name is Anya, not just ‘the mother.'”

“Of course.” Madam Pomfrey nodded her head and continued to look sympathetic. “I assure you they will both get the best possible care.”

“What are their chances?” Draco stood just behind Connor and Dawn, face grave in the weak light afforded by the office windows.

Madam Pomfrey looked at the eight teenagers arrayed in a tense line before her and sighed quietly. “I don't want to give you false hope…”

“Then don't, just tell us what to expect.” Harry flushed as the matron raised her eyebrows at his harsh statement and added hurriedly. “Please.”

“Mrs Harris, Anya, should be fine; I have every hope for a full physical recovery.” Madam Pomfrey paused and obviously chose her next words with great care. “The baby will need a great deal of care and attention if it is to enjoy a successful birth. Obviously being born this prematurely is not ideal, but it is something we are equipped to deal with. Its unique genetic make-up presents us with an unknown quantity and, frankly, the best we can hope for is that whatever problems present themselves after the birth are not anything that we haven't foreseen.” She glanced out of the picture window overlooking the main ward and saw Professor Dumbledore stride into the room. “If you'll excuse me, I must speak with the Headmaster. Try not to worry too much.” With a quick, professional smile the woman exited the small room and shut the door softly behind her.

There was a long silence in the wake of her departure and then Draco pushed away from the wall he was leaning against. “I'm going to find Snape; he can get a message to Angel and the others. They should be here in case…” He stopped himself and cleared his throat before finishing. “They should be here.”

“I'll go with you.” Hermione stood from the chair she had been seated on. “I want to make sure that Willow or Mr Giles bring any information that they might have on half-breed pregnancies.” She smiled wanly at Dawn. “They might know something that could help us while we wait for them to arrive.”

Dawn nodded her head in a daze. “Ok.” She swallowed to try and ease her dry throat. “Thanks.” She turned into Connor's waiting arms as Draco held the door open for Hermione and then followed her out. “Oh God, this can't be happening.”

Connor folded her into his tight embrace and kissed the top of her head. “Ssh, I'm here, baby.” He looked at Ginny's white face as she stood silently beside Ron. “I'm here.”

“I promised her I'd bring Xander back for the birth. This is all happening too fast.” Dawn began to weep against Connor's shoulder. “I promised he'd be here.”

Connor hugged Dawn tighter and whispered. “Sweetie, we tried…”

“Well it wasn't good enough!” Dawn tried to twist angrily out of his arms. “It wasn't fucking good enough. Trying hasn't brought Xander back has it? It's just left Anya alone and hurting and there's not a damn thing we can do about it.” She stopped struggling abruptly and sagged in his arms. “I just had to do one thing and I couldn't even do that. I've let everyone down.”

Connor swayed from side to side as he tried to soothe Dawn's pain. “No you haven't. We did the best we could.” He closed his eyes as Dawn began to sob brokenly. “Don't cry, please don't cry.”

Ron and the others watched helplessly as Dawn went thoroughly to pieces in Connor's arms and her mate tried desperately to halt her guilty tears. Harry glanced across at Kit and saw she had wrapped her arms around herself as silent tears trickled down her cheeks, he hesitated for a few brief seconds before her agonised expression got to be too much and then walked across and silently held out his arms. Kit stared up at him for a moment before moving into him and laying her head on his chest and slipping her arms around his waist to seek whatever comfort she could.

Ron put an arm around Ginny's shoulders and squeezed, then silently pulled her in for a proper cuddle as she turned to him and buried her face in his chest. The door opened and Dumbledore entered to say quietly. “I'm sorry, but Madam Pomfrey has requested that we all leave the ward. She's going to be very busy with her patients and will need all her concentration to help Mrs Harris.”

Dawn raised her head from Connor's shoulder and shook her head firmly. “No, Anya needs us; we're not leaving her alone.”

The Headmaster looked compassionate but resolved. “I'm afraid I must insist, Dawn. You can wait outside or in one of the side wards but you cannot remain here. Please come with me.”

“Ok.” Connor shook his head as Dawn turned her face to him to object. “No, we're a distraction and we're not doing any good here. We'll wait outside, sir.” He turned Dawn to the door and put a supporting arm around her. “Come on, baby.”

Stricken, Dawn looked pleadingly at the Headmaster. “Can I just see her for a minute before I go? I can't just leave her, she'll think I don't care.”

Dumbledore smiled gently but shook his head. “I'm sorry, Dawn. You can see her later, I will make sure a message is passed on; come along.” He stepped back as they filed silently past him and then put a hand under Dawn's arm to hurry her along as a low moan came from the curtained area at the far end of the ward. “Please hurry.”

Outside the infirmary doors, Molly and Liz were waiting with sober expressions and when Dumbledore led Dawn and the others out, moved hurriedly forwards to bestow what comfort they could. “Now then, lovey, don't you worry, I've done this enough to know that it always seems worse that it is.” Molly smoothed Dawn's hair back from her face and smiled warmly. “She's in the best possible hands and she's a strong girl, it will all work out, you'll see.”

Dawn tried to smile back but her eyes began to leak more tears. “I want Buffy.” Her breath began to hitch as sorrow and fear for Anya overwhelmed her. “I want my sister…”

“Ssh, of course you do, love.” Molly gently pulled Dawn into her arms and rocked her like she would Roberto or Luca. “Of course you do. We'll get her for you, my love.”

Liz clutched her daughter's cold hand helplessly and looked at Dumbledore. “Where's the Slayer? You can't leave them alone to deal with this.”

“Of course not.” Dumbledore nodded gravely. “Arrangements are being made even as we…”

“DAWN!” Everyone jumped as a very familiar voice bellowed down the corridor and then Spike sprinted around the corner with Draco and Hermione hot on his heels. “Dawn, what the bleedin' hell is going on? Where's Anya?” He skidded to a stop and then stumbled back at step as Dawn tore herself away from Molly and flung herself into his arms. “Alright, Nibblet, I'm ‘ere now.” Spike patted Dawn's back and glared at Dumbledore. “Where's demon-girl?”

“Mrs Harris is in the infirmary…” Dumbledore moved hastily into Spike's path as he lifted Dawn off her feet and made to shoulder his way past. “I'm afraid you cannot see her at the moment.”

Connor oofed as Dawn was unceremoniously shoved into his arms and then Spike had his arm stretched straight out and Dumbledore pinned by the throat to the wall, snarling furiously. “Don't tell me what I can't do, old man.” He shook the old wizard like a rag doll and threw off Ron like he weighed nothing as the Head Boy tried to stop him. “That's my mate's wife and kid in there and I want to bloody see what the ‘ell is goin' on.”

Kit pushed past Harry and squeezed round until she was between the livid vampire and the choking professor. “Spike, this isn't helping, let him down.” She put both hands on his chest and tried to move him back, cursing the demon strength that gave an average sized man the strength of ten. “Spike, he's gonna pull out his wand in a minute and it isn't going to be pleasant, step off.”

Spike growled and his eyes flashed yellow, making Liz and Molly scream. “Yeah? My chip doesn't work ‘ere and I'm thinking if I rip out his throat then he's gonna ‘ave a ‘ell of a time doing a spell.”

“Good point, but still not helping.” Kit thumped Spike's shoulder in frustration. “This isn't helping Anya!”

Spike blinked into her frightened eyes and then, reluctantly, let Professor Dumbledore drop gasping to the floor. “Alright.” He touched her cheek lightly and tried to smile. “Anything for one of my girls, like.” Turning his back on the old wizard he put one arm around Kit and held the other out for Dawn. “Come ‘ere and have a cuddle then.” He held both girls tightly to him and nodded at Connor. “Yer Dad and the others are at the Ministry, they're getting them now. I came when that bloke with a face like a slapped arse showed up in my bleedin' fire. Snipe or whatever the bleedin' hell he calls ‘imself. Gave me a right start it did.”

“I'll bet.” Connor stared at Spike for a moment before saying sincerely. “I'm glad you're here.”

Spike flashed a smile. “Me too, pup, me too.” He glanced up the corridor and sniffed the air. “Slayer's comin.'”

Draco turned and was met with the sight of the Scoobs and the Fang Gang pelting towards him with full grim battle faces in place and not looking like they were in a mood to take any crap. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief as Angel drew up next to him. “You came.” Angel looked surprised at the words but nodded in agreement as Connor came forward to give him a welcoming hug. Draco smiled hesitantly and was surprised to find that for the first time in his life he wanted to take advantage of some filial physical affection to calm his sickeningly pounding heart. “It's good to see you again…Dad.” He blinked as Angel's face exploded with pleasure and then found himself with his face pressed awkwardly into the side of Angel's head as the vampire pulled him close with one long arm and hugged him tightly.

Dawn fell into her sister's arms. “Buffy…”

Buffy exchanged a worried look with Spike and hugged Dawn to her. “I'm here, sweetie.” She ran a gentle hand over her sister's head and whispered. “Everything's ok now.”

  
  
  


* * *

Morning edged slowly into afternoon and the atmosphere grew progressively more tense as the minutes ticked by. They had ended up in the same room as they had occupied after the battles for Hogwarts and Sunnydale and no one was finding it any more pleasurable the second time around. Wesley and Giles were huddled in a corner poring over a pile of dusty books that they had brought with them, feverishly searching for any information that might let them help Anya's child after its birth. Spike was talking quietly with Gunn and Fred as he kept a careful eye on Buffy and Willow while they sat silently with Dawn and the rest of her house waiting for news from inside the infirmary. Angel held Cordelia on his lap as he watched his two sons try to comfort their friends and strained his ears for any sound from the ward that might tell him how things were progressing. Molly and Liz kept disappearing sporadically to check on Roberto, Luca and Sara, who were being cared for by Professors McGonagall and Hooch until the latest crisis was resolved. The entire room tensed as the door opened and Professor Dumbledore walked in.

The old wizard paused and then took a deep breath. “I'm very sorry, but there has been some complications.” He looked gravely around the room. “Mrs Harris has started to bleed internally and Madam Pomfrey cannot tell where from. The baby is showing signs of distress but it is proving impossible to help it be born in the natural way. I'm afraid I need permission from one of you to perform an emergency apparating procedure.”

Willow pressed a shaking hand to her mouth. “Oh Goddess…” She groped blindly for Buffy's hand. “Will that save them?”

“I'm afraid I cannot answer that question.” Dumbledore's eyes were flat with despair behind his glasses. “I wish I could assure you that everything will be fine but there is a considerable amount of blood and….”

Dawn's mind, which had been racing furiously ever since she had realised Anya was going to have her baby in the next few hours, suddenly jarred to a halt and in one precious second things came together with crystal clarity. “Blood.” Her head jerked up and she stared fixedly at Dumbledore as she whispered to herself. “It's all about the blood. That's what was missing.”

“Dawn, honey, are you ok? What do you mean?” Buffy frowned in confusion. “What about the blood?”

“Dagger, quickly.” Scrambling to her feet, Dawn held her hand out to Connor. “Quickly!”

The urgency in her voice had Connor slapping the hilt of the dagger he wore in his ankle sheath in her hand before he'd properly registered her words. “What…? NO!” He lunged for Dawn as she slashed the sharp blade across the palm of one hand and then the other. “What are you doing?”

“Now you.” Dawn grasped his wrist and slapped the hilt into his limp hand. “And the rest of you as well, hurry. Buff, you get everybody else back. Do it!”

“I…I don't understand, what are you doing?” Buffy stared at the blood dripping from her sister's palms and felt ill. “What are you going to do?”

“Blood magic. Dark magic.” Willow shook her head worriedly. “Dawnie, Xander wouldn't want this.”

“It's not dark magic, Will, it's our magic.” Dawn looked down at her friends with desperation. “Xander's not here; we are and this is our last shot at finding him before he might lose the chance to ever see his baby alive.” Dawn looked into Connor's eyes. “Do you trust me?” Her answer was two quick slashes across his own palms and the firm smack of the hilt hitting Draco's waiting hand.

Kit shook off her mother's tight grip and moved forward to hold her hands out to Draco. “Now me.” She hissed as he cut her, his hand slipping on the wet handle of the blade and then looked back with a twisted smile at Liz. “Mom, get out of here, I don't want you here for this.”

Wide-eyed, Liz watched as the teenagers she had lived with for the last few weeks all hurriedly cut themselves and then formed a loose circle. “This is crazy…”

Molly swallowed her own protest and yanked her friend back as the Eight's hands came together. “They know what they're doing.” She turned her head away as a wide, green circle, more potent than any Dawn had previously conjured burst into existence. “We have to trust them.”

Buffy backed away from her sister as Dawn narrowed her eyes against the green glare of the portal and her friends scrambled around the group of teenagers to her side. “Oh Jesus.” She looked down as she felt Spike's hand grip hers and then up into his blue eyes. “Be ready.”

“Always am, love, always am.” Spike nodded to Angel and Cordelia as they stood apprehensively at his side. “You two good to go?”

“Bring it on, Blondie.” Cordelia's voice was laced with nerves but she stood tall as she forced herself to look directly into the heart of the light. “And just so everyone's clear here, I catch so much of a glimpse of the Powers or that dork Skip and their asses are mine.”

Angel cut his eyes to her set face and felt his heart twist with love for her. “Gotcha.”

Dawn took a deep steadying breath and renewed her grip on Connor's hand and then Harry's on her other side. “Just let me guide us, don't try and fight me. Relax and open your power.” She gasped as she felt pure energy punch into her as the others did as they were told; using the techniques they had practised over the last few weeks to tap into whatever power they had. The mingling of their blood crystallised the potency of Dawn's control over the portal to such a degree that she could almost feel every strand of energy that made it up, her skin dancing with electric sensation and awareness. “XANDER…”

The shout ripped from Dawn's throat as her head flew back, her friends howled with pain as energy leapt from body to body and the circle of bodies went taut with overwhelming power. Liz and Molly cried out but were held back by Gunn and Fred as the teenagers screamed in wordless agony at the ceiling. Willow shook as she looked into the portal and saw dimension after dimension rip past, fleeting glimpses of other worlds that soon blurred into a nonsensical whirl of colour and unidentifiable images as Dawn channelled yet more power into the doorway between dimensions and screamed again. “Xander!”

“Good God.” Giles turned his face away from the unbearable light and shouted to Buffy. “You have to stop this, they're too unstable.”

Buffy held up a hand to shield her eyes and staggered as a fierce wind blew up, crackling with mystical energy. “I don't think I can…” She almost fell to her knees as she felt the room shake with the huge strain of coping with the force trapped inside it. “It's too much!”

“No!” Professor Dumbledore shook his head and shouted at the top of his voice. “Do not interfere!” He stumbled back against the wall and cracked his head hard against the stone. “Do…not…interfere…”

“Buffy, now!” Dawn's shout was strained and barely audible above the scream of the power she had unleashed, but it was enough to alert the Slayer. “Go now!”

Eyes streaming with tears, Buffy looked into the wind and energy and could just make out a figure running frantically through grey daylight towards the portal, chased by several much larger figures. “Xander?” She was moving even as the figure stumbled and fell when one of its pursuers hurled something at its back. “Xander!”

Spike roared as Buffy sprinted forward and leapt over Draco's head to somersault straight into the heart of the portal. “No!”

He had barely taken a step when Wesley cannoned into him and took him crashing to the ground. “It's daylight, you bloody fool. You won't last two seconds!” Wesley smacked his fist into Spike's chin and yelled desperately. “Stay down.”

Cordelia turned to Angel and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “I'll be back.” She turned and ran before he could grab for her, ducking under Connor and Hermione's joined hands to dive head first after Buffy.

“Cordy!” Angel cursed as Willow, Fred and Gunn jumped on him and pushed him down beside Spike. “Goddamn it!”

Giles moved swiftly to pile on top of the thrashing vampires, yelling at Molly and Liz. “Help us!” He thought heavy thoughts as he pressed down rather intimately on Fred's butt and silently apologised to her, then the breath left his body as Molly Weasley landed on top him with a loud grunt. The next few seconds were confused and painful as Angel and Spike did everything short of snapping bones and ripping open throats to free themselves and the humans in the room fought to hold them down. Giles grunted again as yet another body hit the pile on top of the vampires and then the howl of the wind stopped suddenly, the gaping silence it left behind somehow a thousand times worse.”

“BUFFY!” Spike's terrified cry scream shattered the breathless hush like glass. “Slayer.”

“Ow!” A breathless voice moaned plaintively just above Giles' ear. “She's fine, you idiot. Go practice screaming like a woman somewhere I'm not.”

Giles blinked down into Spike's equally startled eyes and said cautiously. “Xander?”

“Present.” A very thin and ragged looking Xander Harris rolled off the Watcher and landed on the floor with a muffled groan. “Can I just say ow? I can't see travel by portal being the way of the future, by the way.”

Willow scrambled up onto her knees and then launched herself onto her unsuspecting best friend, sending them both to the floor. “You're here, you're here!” The redhead burst into overwrought tears and squeezed Xander around the neck as hard as she could. “You're ok!” Xander opened his mouth to try to speak and then could only give a pained squeak as Giles and Buffy hurled themselves on top of Willow. Willow managed to plant a wet kiss on Xander's cheek and sobbed. “You're alive…”

Dawn watched from where she was braced on all fours, panting on the floor. She forced her head to turn and saw the rest of her house lying on the floor or slumped in similar positions all around her, eyes wide and dazed from the magic they had just performed. “We did it.” Her voice was broken and husky, but the triumph and joy were unmistakable. “We did it.”

Draco's arms and legs were shaking so badly that he could barely maintain his kneeling position but he finally managed to reach across to Ginny, flat on her back and gasping for breath as her limp hands continued to bleed onto the stone flagged ground. She moaned as he pulled feebly on her robe and dragged her a few inches nearer. “You ok?”

Ginny blinked and stared at him for a long moment. Her heart raced as she stared into his worried eyes and her mouth dried out as his hand fumbled down to lace with hers. “Wow.” She tried to remember how to make her fingers work and finally managed to clutch at his hand. “Wow.”

Draco grinned. “That's what I was going to say.” He looked up as Molly and Liz reached them and began frantically checking everyone over. Molly touched her daughter with a trembling hand, then pulled her up and leant her against Draco with a quick order to keep an eye on each other before hurrying to Ron's side as he tried to clumsily wrap one fiercely bleeding hand in his robe. Draco swayed under Ginny's weight and then toppled over on his back, Ginny sprawling across his chest. “Well, that's a bit of a result.” His face broke into a huge grin as Ginny pressed her face into his shirt, shaking with exhausted laughter and he forced one arm up and over her narrow back in a loose hug. “We should play with powers beyond our control and understanding more often.”

Spike thrashed on the floor and shoved Wesley off him before jumping to his feet to pluck Buffy up and into his arms. “What the bleedin' hell did you think you were playin' at?” He shook the Slayer until her teeth rattled and bellowed. “You could've been killed.”

Angel sat up as Fred and Gunn hurriedly moved off him at his low growl and glared at Cordelia who lay panting on the floor, grinning stupidly at Xander as he tried to roll Giles and Willow off him. “I'm going to kill you.” He got to his feet and yanked Cordelia up onto her toes. “If you ever do anything like that again…”

Cordelia sniffed, unimpressed at the show of manly outrage. “Then I'll be doing my job. Go me.” She slapped at Angel's hand on her arm. “And this is definitely bad touching.”

Angel snarled and followed Spike's example to shake Cordelia until her eyes were spinning in her head. “You could have died, you stupid idiot.” He shook her again. “I could have lost you.”

Showing remarkable understanding and restraint, Cordelia managed to work one hand up to cup his twitching cheek. “But you didn't, I came back.” She smiled at him with eyes filled with love. “Just like I always do.” Angel glared at her furiously for another long moment before wrapping her in shaking arms and burying his face in her neck. Cordelia hugged him as tightly as she could. “I'm ok, Angel, I came back.”

“Where's Anya?” Xander finally managed to wriggle out from under Willow and Giles and looked eagerly around the room. “Ahn?” He frowned as he looked at Dawn kneeling bleeding on the floor, and the kids grouped behind her in a similar state. “Dawn? What's going on?” He stared around himself frantically. “Where's Anya?”

“Mr Harris.” Nursing a bump on the back of his head the size of an Easter egg, Dumbledore stepped forward. “If you'll come with me, I'll take you to your wife. I'm afraid she needs you very badly.”

Xander's already white face bleached completely of colour. “What's wrong? Is it the baby?” He staggered to his feet in the ragged remains of the shirt and jeans he had first gone missing in, that now hung on him like curtains. “Where is she?”

“Come with me.” Dumbledore opened the door and nearly walked straight into Kingsley Shacklebolt and a group of Aurors, summoned by a terrified nurse from the hospital wing. “Kingsley, the children require medical attention, do what you can to help them but do not let them onto the ward, please. Mr Harris, if you'll follow me.”

Xander stumbled after the wizard, leaving behind him a scene of complete devastation. Kingsley silently took in the bleeding and shaking teenagers, the stunned adults and the two growling vampires clutching two slim women. He raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “You're slipping. Everyone's still breathing.” He jumped as Spike raised his head from where it was bent over Buffy and snarled at the intruder as he added hurriedly. “Everyone that should be still breathing, I mean.” He looked at the devastation with a jaded eye and sighed again. “What in the name of Merlin have you done now?”

“Story for another time.” Buffy wriggled out of Spike's hold. “Xander needs us. Everyone grab a kid and lets go.”

Liz looked up from where she was trying to staunch the blood from Kit's hands. “They need medical help, they should stay here and…”

“Mom, I'm fine.” Kit tugged her hand out of her mother's, trying to stand but only managed to get her butt an inch off the floor before she collapsed back down. “Help me up.” She scowled as her mother hesitated. “I've had a lot worse than this, trust me, I'm fine. Help me up.” Liz stared at the determined face of her daughter and her shoulders sagged in defeat as she reached down to awkwardly help the wobbling Kit to her feet. Kit staggered but managed a weak smile. “Thank you.”

Buffy supported Dawn with an arm around her sister's waist and repeated. “Let's go.”

“Professor Dumbledore said that you're to stay here and…” Kingsley stopped in astonishment as Molly Weasley whipped out her wand and pointed it at him calmly.

“Kingsley Shacklebolt, I will turn you into something very unpleasant if you don't get out of our way this instant!” Molly was pale but deadly serious as she lowered her voice and said in a creditable growl. “Move.”

Spike redoubled his hold on Ron and grinned at the boy's startled face as they moved forward. “I like your mum. She's got some stones on her.”

Ron staggered as they passed Kingsley and the rest of the Aurors. “Yeah, she has.” He looked woozily down at Spike. “What are stones?”

  
  
  


* * *

Xander threw aside the curtain concealing the whimpering Anya and shouldered a grim-faced Madam Pomfrey aside. “Anya, sweetie, I'm here. Honey, I'm right here.” He stroked her sweat soaked hair back from her delirious face and shook off a hand that tried to pull him away. “Get off me. Ahn, baby, I'm back.”

“Young man, who on earth are you?” Madam Pomfrey tried yet again to tug the filthy apparition away from her patient's bedside. “Please, come away…”

“Madam, this is Mr Harris.” Dumbledore kept his voice low and shot an anxious glance at the writhing woman on the bed and then at the blood smeared on the sheets. “Let him have a moment with his wife.”

“There isn't time.” Madam Pomfrey gripped Xander's arm and forced him to look at her. “I need your permission to operate on your wife; she is too insensible with pain to understand what I am telling her.”

Looking pretty insensible himself, Xander shook his head. “What? I…I…”

“She's going to die unless I get the baby out of her, the child too!” Madam Pomfrey's voice was harsh with urgency. “Give me the permission I need.”

“O…ok.” Xander stumbled as he was abruptly turned loose and Madam Pomfrey whirled to face the bed. Tears sprang to his eyes as the old woman raised a thin wooden stick over Anya's huge belly. “Oh God…”

Nodding at Penelope Clearwater as she stood on the opposite side of the bed, arms braced and covered with a thick fluffy towel, Madam Pomfrey closed her eyes, took a steadying breath and began to mutter a string of unintelligible words as she carefully waved her wand. Xander stared anxiously between Anya's face and her belly as she began to thrash uncontrollably and then he staggered with shock as Anya gave a long piercing scream and then there was suddenly a tiny, limp body lying in Penelope's arms. Madam Pomfrey barely glanced at the younger witch. “Do what you can for the baby.” She placed her fingers at Anya's throat and felt her heart sink as a weak, thready beat barely made itself felt. “Headmaster, please take Mr Harris out of here. Now.”

“No, I want to stay. What's happening?” Xander tried to shake off Dumbledore's gently insistent hands. “Is she ok? Anya?”

“Come along, there's nothing you can do here. We can get you cleaned up and then you can come back.” The Headmaster's voice was low with sympathy and he was nearly knocked to the floor as Xander struggled against him. “Please, Xander, just come with me and…”

“S'alright, whelp, I'm ‘ere.” Spike moved Dumbledore aside and gripped Xander firmly. “S'alright, mate, let's just get you out of ‘ere.” The rest of the Scoobs and the Fang Gang stood silently behind him, supporting the bloody members of Durus Cateanus, faces sober with empathy for their friend's pain.

“Spike, goddamn it, let me go!” Xander cursed and tried to break the arms wound tightly around his thin frame. “I'm not leaving her, she needs me. Goddamn it…”

Spike tensed as his superior hearing caught a tiny, tiny sound. “Shut up.” He tightened his arms and forced Xander to remain still. They stood in a tense tableau for a moment before a reed thin wail floated unmistakably towards them and Spike grinned. “Congratulations, puppy, sounds like you're a dad.”

Xander's knees began to tremble as the cries of his child began to gain in strength as Penelope and another young nurse worked feverishly over it in the bed next to its mother and he was forced to clutch at Spike to hold himself upright. “I'm a dad.” He tried to laugh but a hysterical sob exploded from his chest instead. “I'm a dad.”

  
  
  


* * *

When Anya opened her eyes over two hours later, the first thing she saw was a thin, haggard looking man with long unkempt hair slumped snoring in her bedside chair with a tiny line of drool running down his chin and hands dangling limply at his side. Anya scowled at him and then her eyes widened in panic as she realised that the bump that had grown to be second nature to her over the last few months was considerably less than she last remembered. “Hey, tramp-guy, where the hell is my baby?” Xander woke up with a start at Anya's screech and fell off his chair onto the floor, as the demon struggled to force her weak body to sit up. “If you've hurt my baby…”

“Anya, it's me, Xander!” Xander got onto his knees, blinking reproachfully at his stunned wife and swiped his forearm over his chin to clean up the drool. “And you might have given me some warning there, hun. I don't think I can take another shock to the system today.”

“Xander?” Anya's hands tightened on the blankets and her eyes widened with pitiful hope. “Xander, is that really you?”

“In the flesh.” Xander grinned his trademark lopsided grin and got to his feet. “Happy to see me?”

Anya's eyes widened further still. “Xander? Where have you been?” She reached out trembling fingers to touch his face. “Is it really you?”

Xander eased himself onto the bed and took Anya carefully in his arms to ease her back against her pillows. “It's really me and trapped in a really icky demon dimension.” He brushed a kiss over her lips and smiled shakily. “Dawn and the others found me and brought me home.”

Anya began to cry. “I knew she would. She promised me you would be here to see the baby being born.” Primal terror exploded in her brown eyes. “The baby…”

“We've got a son.” Xander began to cry his own tears as he gathered Anya close into his arms and buried his face in her shoulder. “You had a son and he's ok, sweetie; you did good.”

“Mrs Harris?” Madam Pomfrey smiled at the embracing couple on the bed and then held out a tiny bundle of blankets. “Would you like to see your baby?”

Anya blinked as she stared at the tiny face enclosed in a see-through bubble. “Oh.” She peered closer and then wailed in horror. “Oh no, I gave birth to a Slime Demon. Xander, our baby is hideously deformed!”

“What?” Xander sat up and stared in alarm at the baby in the medi-witch's arms. “No, he's not!”

“Mrs Harris…” Madam Pomfrey sniffed in disapproval at Anya's reaction to her first-born. “This is a beautiful child and he is in no way deformed. He has been forced to wear the oxygen bubble around his head since his birth to aid his breathing and we have not been able to clean his face properly yet. He will need extra aid to help him breath for some weeks to come and there is a possibility that we may need to perform a small procedure when he is a little stronger to help straighten a slight kink in his spine, but in the main he is amazingly healthy.” She twitched aside a fold of blanket to reveal a perfectly normal pink foot. “I can assure you he is not a slime demon.”

Looking doubtful, Anya eyed her son. “He's meant to look like that? With his face all squashed up and the bulging eyes?” She inched closer and then glanced back at Xander. “This is a joke, right? I don't remember the newborns in the books looking like this.” She looked outraged as a sudden thought occurred. “They put cosmetics on those infants to make them more appealing to the masses. They make you think they will be slightly crumpled but still endearing and then they laugh when mothers have repulsively ugly children!”

His heart swelling with love and pride as he watched his unimpressed wife eye her newborn son, Xander shook his head in amusement. “'Fraid not, Ahn. They all look like that.”

“Good grief.” Anya frowned and looked accusingly at her smiling husband. “If I'd have known this was a possibility I would have given more consideration to having your child. He's hideous and nothing like the pink-cheeked infants I have seen in the shop.”

Now shaking with helpless laughter, Xander got up to take his son into his arms and hold him out to Anya. “He'll grow into his looks.”

“What looks?” Anya eyed the baby uncertainly. “He looks like your Uncle Rory after a heavy night on the town.” A thought occurred to her and she looked hopefully at the furious Madam Pomfrey. “Has he been drinking? Perhaps a little alcohol to help him get over the shock of the birth?”

“Certainly not!” Madam Pomfrey was nearly purple with outrage. “That is a beautiful child and there is nothing wrong with him.”

“Oh.” Anya finally held out her arms and Xander placed the baby reverently into them. “Well, maybe I could learn to love him. I understand that looks aren't everything.” She adjusted her hold and studied her baby's face carefully, sighing. “Although I hope for his sake he develops a strong personality.”

  
  



	36. Chapter Thirty-One

Connor stared dubiously at the garment on his bed. “What's that?”

Draco looked down and grinned. “Your dress robes.” He glanced innocently at Connor. “I found them stuffed behind one of the wall racks in the training room and got one of the house-elves to straighten them out for you.”

“Right.” Connor scratched at his chin with one of his bandaged hands and stopped glaring at the set of robes to turn and glare at Draco instead. “Thanks for that.”

“My pleasure.” Draco waved his hand airily through the air and walked away to his own bed and looked down at his own robes with a sigh. “We'd better get dressed I suppose.” He raised his own bandaged hands and looked at them thoughtfully. “We could have a problem here.”

Connor snorted and sat down on his immaculately pressed robes with a heavy sigh. “Do we have to wear these things? They're so…so…”

Draco looked up from trying to undo the buttons on his school shirt with his sore and swollen hands. “Unoriginal?”

“I was going to say girly, but whatever.” Connor picked idly at the embroidered seam of his dark gray dress robe and said hopefully. “We could burn them?”

“Yes, and won't that make an eye opening statement when we show up at the ball in our underwear and socks?” Draco gave up on his buttons and scowled. “Bloody things.”

Both boys looked towards the door as someone knocked on it and Angel poked his head into the room. “Hi, can I come in?” At their nods, Angel stepped inside the room and shut the door carefully behind him holding a black clothes bag on a hanger from one upraised hand. “Just thought I'd check up on you to make sure you're both ok after this afternoon.” He glanced at both boys over quickly and visibly relaxed. “You look alright.”

“We are, Dad.” Connor smiled at his father and gestured at the bag he carried. “What's that?”

Angel stared at the garment bag as though surprised to see it and then shifted uncertainly. “An early Christmas present. Here.” He held it out and babbled nervously. “Your mother thought that you might appreciate having a choice of what to wear tonight and she didn't like the look of any formal clothes the wizards had in London so she sent me out for this. I got your sizes off the lady who makes the robes in Diagon Alley, I hope you don't mind. You don't have to wear them if you don't want to, but we thought that you should have a choice and…”

“You already said that.” Connor looked expectantly at his dad and then held up his hands. “Could you do the honours? We're a bit short handed here.”

Angel blinked. “Right.” He pulled at the zipped at the front of the bag and opened it to reveal some kind of jacket. “Ok, well, happy Christmas.” A brief tug of war between Angel and the bag commenced before he brought two long frock coats out and laid them on the end of Harry's bed and then went back in for two high necked white shirts and the trousers to match the coats. “They're not really muggle clothes, we kind of asked for something a little more traditional.”

Connor and Draco walked over to join Angel in studying the formal suits and then looked back at the robes lying on their beds. They looked at each other and then back at the suits, Connor grinned. “Dad, I love you.” He brushed the tip of a finger over the heavy material of one of the black frock coats and his grin widened. “I really, really love you.”

Draco cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. “I'm no expert, but aren't these a little longer cut than muggle clothes?”

“It's kinda styled after the stuff I used to wear when I was your age.” Angel's eyes clouded with memories for a moment before he shook them off. “But more contemporary. Your mom was very specific about what she wanted.”

“I'll bet.” Connor stepped back and gestured to the tiny buttons on the dress shirts. “But we're kinda finding it difficult to use our hands at the moment. We're gonna need some help getting dressed.”

Angel nodded and looked at his son's bandages. “Right. Couldn't they do anything for you? They seem to be pretty advanced medically speaking.”

Draco shrugged. “They tried but the magic wouldn't stick.” He tried to think of a way to explain the peculiar sensation of having healing magic worked on him but sliding off his skin like jelly from a spoon. “It was like the magic was searching for something to work on but it just couldn't see us.”

Connor nodded in agreement and added. “Plus, Dawn and I wouldn't let them try on us; no magic unless it's necessary.” He waved his hands in the air. “These will heal on their own and, like Kit said, we've all had worse.”

Angel purposefully kept his face blank and didn't betray the shock of alarm to his system at the news that conventional magic wasn't able to help his two boys. “Fair enough. Are you two going to have a shower?” He smiled blandly and made a promise to himself to have a word with Willow and Giles as soon as Christmas was out of the way, then frowned as Draco and Connor shifted and looked uncomfortable. “What?”

Draco was appalled at the fiery tide of embarrassment that crept up his neck and face but still couldn't quite make himself meet Angel's eyes. Connor squirmed and muttered. “Can't. Got to keep the bandages dry.” His voice dropped to a barely audible whisper even to Angel's sensitive hearing. “And we can't get our clothes off.”

This time Angel's smile was entirely genuine, although he had enough sensitivity to teenage dignity to lose it when they both looked up at him and instead wore an expression of clinical resignation. “Ok. Tell me where your toiletries are and I'll help you.” He managed to stifle the grin at Connor's mortified expression and said gravely. “I changed your diapers, Connor, I've seen it all before.”

“Not mine you haven't.” Draco stared miserably at the floor, but was well aware that unless he wanted to escort Ginny to the ball smelling of stale, adrenaline soaked sweat and dried blood it was the only option.

Angel choked but managed not to laugh outright. He nodded in agreement and said sincerely. “I'll try and control myself.” He glanced at Ron and Harry's bed. “What about the other two, should I go get Wes and Gunn?” Looking slightly happier, Connor and Draco exchanged looks and then sniggered cruelly. “What? What's so funny?”

Draco, eyes dancing with mirth, managed to stop sniggering long enough to say delightedly. “Mrs Weasley's already helping them.” He began to laugh helplessly as he remembered Harry and Ron being dragged protesting from their room half an hour earlier and said with great satisfaction. “That'll teach him to tell Ginny I'd only go to the dance with her because there was no one else that would.”

  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


In the girls' bedroom there was a scene of feminine activity that had been performed countless times in the Summers' house over the years. Cordelia, Willow, Fred and Buffy were all in various states of undress as they milled around helping the four younger girls get ready for the party. The only thing missing was the sound of a stereo pumping out what ever was currently flavour of the week in the charts and the hum of a hairdryer. Dawn grinned with satisfaction as she looked at herself in the mirror wearing the backless sapphire blue dress Buffy had brought with her from London and turned in a slow circle to get the full effect. “Wow.” The dress skimmed her lean curves, falling in smooth lines from the string halter neck and then coming around to dip just over the curve of her buttocks before ending in a long sheathed skirt that on one side was split nearly up to one hip to allow her to walk properly. “This is amazing, Buff.” The eyes Cordelia had spent over ten minutes making up glowed with happiness. “Thank you.”

Buffy's throat tightened as she looked at her little sister and tried to reconcile the little girl she remembered with the stunning young woman before her. “You look beautiful.” Then her face cracked in a teasing grin as she gestured at the bulky bandages adorning Dawn's hands. “But I don't think that look's really going to catch on.”

Dawn looked down, giggled and then shrugged. “It was worth it.” Sheer joy welled up inside her as she pictured the look on Xander's face the first time he had heard his son's cry. “Totally, totally worth it.”

“I'm so proud of you.” Buffy took Dawn in her arms and hugged her. “You know that right?”

“Hey, hands off the dress!” Cordelia, in full-on ex-May Queen Mode, nearly sprinted across the room and slapped the Slayer around her carefully brushed and arranged head. “You put a wrinkle on her before Connor sees her and you'll be joining the ‘Mummy Returns' revivalist look yourself, Summers.” Ignoring the annoyed look on Buffy's face, Cordelia looked Dawn up and down. “Get Fred to help you get your heels on and then go stand in the corner until it's time to leave. Don't even think about sitting down.”

“Yes ma'am.” Dawn rolled her eyes and walked off towards Fred, muttering. “Although if he still wants to make out when I've covered in demon guts, I don't think a couple of little creases is gonna bother him.”

“Ok, done.” Willow stood back and smiled delightedly at Hermione. “You look perfect.” She brushed a curl back of Hermione's face and looked deeply satisfied at the waterfall of fat ringlets that fell down the younger girl's back. “Stunning.” She helped Hermione stand from where she was seated on the bed wearing just hose, panties and a strapless bra and reached for the dress that was hanging from the door of the nearby wardrobe. “Let's get this on you.” Hermione raised her arms obediently and allowed Willow to hop on the bed behind her and drop her dress over her head with a rustle of silk. She waited as Willow drew up the zipper and then looked nervously around the room. “Does it look ok?” The bronzed silk dress she wore was held up by two-inch wide straps on her shoulders and gathered under her bust to drape in long luxuriant folds over her legs and touch the floor. Hermione shifted uncomfortably under the appraising looks of the room. “What?”

Buffy tapped a finger thoughtfully on her mouth. “It needs something.” She glanced at Cordy. “There's definitely something missing.”

Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Spot the women with chests flatter than Iowa.” She looked pointedly at Buffy's chest and then at Willow's and Fred's. “It's no good having it if you don't flaunt it.” With the knowing air of a woman that had never had to consider buying a push-up bra in her life, Cordy rummaged in her toiletry bag before drawing out a simple opal pendant on a gold chain. She carefully put it around Hermione's neck and arranged it on the girl's ample cleavage where it winked invitingly in the lamplight. “There.”

Hermione looked down and blushed. “Goodness.”

Cordelia winked. “Good job we know you've got clean panties on, huh?” She laughed as Hermione went scarlet at the memory of Cordelia helping shower and dress her earlier and then puce at the insinuation in the older woman's remark. “Someone is so getting lucky tonight.”

“Ok, how's this?” Kit stood and twirled around in the red dress Fred had just poured her into. “Too much?”

Buffy blinked as she took in the shoulderless sheath that Kit was wearing and the split in the back that showed a lot of leg as she spun. “Spike is gonna freak.”

“Really?” Looking positively delighted, Kit beamed at the Slayer. “That good?” Her hair fell in a gleaming black curtain down her back, caught up with jewelled combs over her ears and contrasting stunningly with her white skin. “Great!”

Giggling at Kit's happy face, Willow climbed into her own simple emerald green dress and smoothed down the heavy silk of her skirt before tying together the bodice. “He's gonna have a second death when he sees you and Dawnie.”

“No he won't.” Buffy looked smug and gestured to her own skintight silver dress with the very flattering in built push up bodice. “The reason being he's gonna be too busy trying to fit his tongue back in his mouth when he sees me.” She fitted long silver earrings in her ears and checked her upswept hair in the mirror, admiring the way the earrings drew attention to the long line of her neck. “Still a hottie.”

“Still the runner-up.” Looking even smugger than Buffy, Cordelia elbowed her out of the way and checked out her own reflection. Clad in a barely there black dress, Cordelia's natural earthy beauty was showcased stunningly. The dress was held up by a drawstring halter-top that shifted dangerously over her firm breasts every time she breathed before going down to clasp to a gold ring just under her sternum that left most of her torso exposed. At the bottom of the gold ring, the dress stretched down to just under the curve of her hips into a tight black skirt with a slit in it that ran from ankle to the top of her thigh, exposing a long, shapely leg. “I'll be lucky if Angel lets me make it down the stairs before jumping me.”

“Vacuous whore.” There was only amused affection in Buffy's voice as she good-naturedly stuck her tongue out at her former rival and made way for Cordelia in front of the mirror

“Hey, what can I say?” Cordelia returned the childish gesture by raising her middle finger pointedly. “The better demi-god won.” The two women smiled at each other in the mirror before being pushed out of the way by Fred.

“Y'all know how nice you look.” Fred grinned stupidly at herself in the mirror as she turned to and fro to admire the soft golden lines of her own dress. “Now I wanna see.” She brushed at the embroidered bodice of her gown and admired the intricate needlework there before giving herself another radiant smile. “I look good.”

“Then we're ready.” Ginny smiled at everyone as she stood swaddled neck to toe in her best dress robes, her hair framing her face in its usual style. “Let's go.” The smiled faded from her face as she saw the glances being exchanged by the other girls. “What?”

“You haven't asked what Buffy brought you from London.” Dawn swept her arm out to indicate the formal dresses the other girls had all received.

Ginny looked confused. “What?” Her eyes tracked the grinning Slayer across to Dawn's wardrobe where she reached inside and pulled out a long, grass green dress. “I can't wear that!”

“Why not?” Buffy walked towards Ginny, rolling her eyes as the redhead backed away. “It'll fit, your mom gave us your size.”

Ginny's back hit the wall and she stared between Buffy and the proffered dress. “I have my robes…”

“Uh-huh and if you were entering a convent those things would be great.” Cordelia sniffed disparagingly. “As it is, you're my kid's date for the party of the year and if you think I'm letting you set a foot outside that door wearing a pastel coloured sack you can think again.” She tilted her head to the side. “And we have GOT to do something about that hair.”

Ginny shook her hair forward until only the tip of her nose could be seen. “No! I like my hair. It suits me this way.”

“Yeah, if you're an Afghan Hound.” Cordelia, Queen of Tact, sighed impatiently and tapped her foot. “Look, kid, we all know that the reason you seem set on going to this thing looking like you're in mourning for the death of your personal stylist is because of that mark on your face. Fine, I get that, but before you go into complete meltdown you might want to look at what the rest of us are wearing.”

Ginny stared at Cordelia for a minute before averting her wounded eyes to the rest of the room. Dawn turned in a slow circle, giving Ginny time to take in the sheer beauty of her dress and the person wearing it and die a little inside that she couldn't match her and then she blinked as something caught her eye. Thanks to the backless dress and the split in Dawn's skirt she also saw, on full unashamed display, the scars on her friend's back from her encounter with a hellhound and the jagged, ugly mark on her leg from her childhood accident. Dawn grinned at Ginny's stunned expression and gestured to her neck where the white marks of a vampire bite glowed in the muted light of the room. Hermione went next, showing the lash marks from where she had been beaten during her captivity in Albania and the livid scar on her arm from the battle for Hogwarts. One by one the girls turned showing Ginny that the cut of their dresses were designed to accentuate rather than hide the various battle scars they had accumulated over the years and they weren't afraid to show them to the world.

“You earned it.” Buffy stroked Ginny's hair back from her face, ignoring her reflex flinch and smiled. “Don't ever be ashamed of it.”

Cordelia touched the puckered scar on her abdomen, courtesy of her infamous encounter with a rebar, and nodded firmly. “Damn straight.” She eyed the younger girls' bandaged hands for a moment before looking at Willow. “Hey, Witchy-woman, you up for a little glamour spell?”

  
  


* * *

When Ginny finally walked down the stairs into the common room, Draco was terribly afraid for one awful moment that he'd forgotten how to breathe. Her hair was pulled back from her face with golden combs and Cordelia had managed a miracle in twenty minutes with a gas-powered pair of tongs to create a soft fall of curls down her back. The green dress that Buffy had brought her shimmered in the light of the fire and lamps and the full skirt danced around her ankles as she shyly walked across to him. “You look nice.” Draco blinked stupidly down at her and bobbed his head at the soft statement. He looked at the long matching evening gloves on her arms and then back at her uncertain face. He nodded again.

Ginny flushed, completely conscious that although Draco had seen her scar many times since he had moved in, there was a world of difference in looking at her as his date for the evening or as his sweat-soaked sparring partner. She ducked her head and then froze as Draco touched her face. “Don't do that.” He tried to clear his throat and get his voice back down to normal rather than a less-than-manly squeak. “You look…”

“Bloody hell, Ginny!” Ron stared in amazement at his little sister. “You've scrubbed up well.” His eyes swept her from head to toe. “And where'd you get that dress? How come everyone else gets to dress up at muggles and Harry and me have to wear the bloody dress robes? And how did you get rid of the bandages?” He stared at the girls who all wore evening gloves to match their gowns thanks to the glamour spell Willow had hastily cast.

Harry frowned down at his plain black robes and then at Connor and Draco, standing tall and handsome in black frock coats, collarless white shirts and black trousers. He fidgeted uncomfortably and then jumped as Kit laid her hand on his arm and smiled up at him. “I think you look hot.” She turned her head as she heard a growl from Spike's corner and stuck her tongue out at him as she qualified firmly. “Very, very hot.”

Liz caught Spike's arm as he took a step forward. “Ruin tonight for my daughter and I'll dust you myself.” She kept a bright smile on her face for the benefit of the room as she muttered. “Harry's a nice boy and I like him. Stay out of it.”

Spike's eyes flashed with indignation. “Look, luv, if you could smell what I smell…”

Liz kept the bright smile on her face as she hissed. “If I cut your nose off in your sleep you won't be able to smell anything for quite a while.” Her fingernails dug into his arm. “Cross me and I swear you'll find out just how long it takes to grow a new one.” Leaving the shocked vampire in her wake, Liz winked at her daughter as she crossed the room in her violet formal gown to answer a knock at the door to find an unfamiliar redheaded man standing there. “Hello, you must be Arthur, Molly will be out as soon as she's settled the children and given the house-elves their instructions for the night.” Liz shook hands with the Minister of Magic and then smiled over his shoulder as another man appeared. “Severus, just in time, the kids have just finished getting ready.”

All sound in the room ceased as everyone stared at Severus Snape stepping through the portrait hole behind Arthur Weasley. Looking as pained as ever to be in the presence of his students, Snape presented Liz with a bouquet of six blood-red roses and nodded. “Good evening.”

“Thank you, they're lovely.” Liz sniffed delightedly at the flowers in her hands and smiled at the room. “I think you know who everyone is, I'll just go and put these in water.”

An uncomfortable silence descended as she hurried to her quarters and the people left in the common room stared at the potions master with expressions varying from mild curiosity to outright horror. Snape raised an eyebrow. “I see you are ready for the celebrations tomorrow.” He nodded towards the Christmas tree standing by the window and the piles of presents spilling out from beneath it. All eyes swung to the tree, contemplated it in silence for a moment and then moved back to the sour-faced man. Snape curled his lip at the twinkling lights and myriad of brightly coloured decorations. “Very…festive.”

“Arthur!” Molly went into her husband's arms with a wide smile, her rose coloured gown nearly matching the over-heated colour of her face. “I wasn't expecting to see you until later.”

Grinning broadly, Arthur kissed his wife and then pinched her bottom, making her squeak and slap him playfully with a giggle of delight. “I slipped out early. It's all pretty quiet and they know where I am if there's an emergency. I've missed you.” This time the kiss was slow and tender and when the couple drew apart they were both a little misty eyed. “No one seems to be able to burn my toast quite like you do.”

Molly gasped in mock outrage and slapped her husband playfully once more. “Just for that you can make me breakfast tomorrow.”

“As long as it's in bed.” Arthur leered. “I think we should…”

“Get down to the party!” Ron, still reeling from Snape's appearance and not yet equipped to deal with his parents acting like randy teenagers, hastily interrupted. “Good to see you, Dad. Shall we go?”

Arthur smiled and hugged his mortified son and giggling, red-faced daughter. “Hello, you two, you both look splendid.” He touched Ginny's cheek lightly. “You look beautiful, love.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Ginny turned her cheek into her father's touch and then reached back to pull Draco reluctantly forward. “You've met Draco Angel, haven't you?”

Arthur covered his startled surprise well and it was with only the slightest hesitation that he took Draco's outstretched hand and said exactly the right thing. “No, I don't think I've ever had the pleasure. It's nice to meet you, Draco, your parents talk about you all the time.”

For one awful moment Draco thought that Arthur was referring to Lucius and Narcissa and then common sense hit when he caught Angel's bashful expression out of the corner of his eye. A genuine smile lit up his face. “Thank you, it's nice to meet you, sir.”

“Ok, the kids are asleep and Dobby's promised to call us if he has any problems. Are we ready?” Liz came back into the room and astounded a good third of it when she slipped her arm around the one Professor Snape held out to her. The ripples of shock intensified when Snape didn't rip it off and beat her to death with it, but gave a tight smile and placed his other hand over hers.

Kit stood rooted to the spot as Liz and Snape regally led the exit from the room and then she turned horrified eyes up to Harry's. “This is her revenge, isn't it? I knew she'd been way too calm about moving here and the magic and stuff. She's found the worst guy she possibly can and now she's going to date him to spite me.”

“Oh no, I'm sure that's not it.” Harry patted Kit's shaking hand. “She probably felt sorry for him.” He glanced uncertainly towards the door. “I'm sure that's what happened.”

“He'd washed his hair.” Ron and Hermione joined them, looking equally stunned. “Snape had actually washed his hair.” Profoundly sympathetic, Ron looked at Kit. “You don't think it's serious do you?”

“Oh God!” Kit clutched at Harry's arm and then yelped as her hands gave a warning twinge at the pressure on her wounds. “What if she marries him?”

“Er…” Harry blinked and couldn't think of anything remotely helpful to say. “Let's go to the dance shall we?”

Kit allowed Harry to steer her out the door in a wide-eyed daze. “Oh God, I'll be Kit Snape. That's so cruel.” She stumbled through the portrait hole and her eyes opened even wider. “I've already got Spike as a dad, if Mom marries Snape he'll be one too.” Going paler by the second, Kit wailed. “I'm never gonna get to go on another date as long as I live!”

  
  
  


* * *

“Have I told you yet how hot you look?” Connor ran an appreciative hand down Dawn's bare back and took a step to bring their bodies together. “Let's go get naked.”

Dawn sniffed and turned her head away from his questing mouth. “Forget about it, pal. I didn't go to all this trouble dressing up for you to rip my clothes off me an hour after I got into them.” She leaned back in his arms as he ignored her protest and tried to kiss her. “You'll smudge my lip gloss!”

Connor laughed and good-naturedly nuzzled at his mate's neck. “We've gone past the honeymoon stage then?”

Dawn shivered as his lips and tongue did wonderful things to her pulse point and then jumped as his teeth nipped the skin. “No.” She swallowed breathlessly and tried to stop her knees sagging. “I just think we should stay for a while, it all looks so cool.”

“I wouldn't know.” Connor eased her back against a handy wall and stepped up his nuzzling. “I can't see anything but you.”

“Oh.” Dawn blinked up at the charmed ceiling, dancing with reindeers, stars and jolly Santas, and breathed. “You are so getting lucky later.”

“You know, I'm a lot more liberated than my own father, but there's still some things I don't need to know.” Angel smiled innocently as Connor leapt off Dawn like he'd been poked in the butt with a stake and held out two goblets. “Punch?”

“It's a possibility.” Connor glared at his father as the vampire flashed an unrepentant grin and took one of the cups between his bandaged hands. “But for now I'll take the drink. Go bug Draco.”

Angel handed the other drink to an embarrassed Dawn and stuck his hands in his pockets with a cheerful wink. “Your mother's on it.” He looked out over the packed room and at the decidedly unusual band playing on the stage. “You check out the band?”

“Uh-huh.” Connor gave the group a dismissive look and sipped his drink. “Banshee, two ghouls and some kind of water demon I think. Dumbledore says they're ok but I'm keeping my eye on them.”

With a faintly exasperated sigh, Angel rolled his eyes. “I mean have you listened to them. I caught them in 1875 in London, they're still pretty good.” He looked at Connor and said slowly. “One of the ghouls was quite good friends with Darla for a while, thought you might like to talk to her later.”

Connor stared back towards the stage for a long moment and then shook his head. “No, thanks, but I don't think so. I'm pretty sure whatever memories she has won't be anything I want to hear. I'd rather think of Darla how she was when she stayed with you before she died.”

“Ok.” Looking sober but with an underlying sense of relief, Angel nodded. “Your Mom and I just wanted to give you the option.” He rocked backwards on his heels and cast about for a change of subject. “How come you aren't dancing?” He looked startled at Connor's furious look and glanced at Dawn, hiding her sudden attack of giggles behind her hand. “What? What did I say?”

  
  


* * *

Draco, much to his relief, had found that he was now able to speak to Ginny normally instead of just goggle at her like an idiot and they were standing on the edge of the dance floor trying to work out the mechanics of someone a few inches over six feet trying to dance with someone only five foot two and wearing unfamiliar shoes. Draco put his hands on his hips. “You'll just have to trust me to lead.”

Ginny raised an eyebrow. “Draco, I can't see where I'm going. Surely you realise that might be a problem?”

“Well considering you're meant to be gazing into my eyes as we trip lightly round the dance floor, I don't see your point.” Draco eyed her narrowly. “You can dance, can't you?”

“Yes, I can dance, and tripping around the dance floor is the very thing I wanted to avoid!” Ginny slapped her hands on her slim hips in a pose to mirror Draco's and informed him. “And I can barely focus on your chin never mind your eyes, you're stupidly tall you know.”

Draco ignored her last comment and looked her up and down thoughtfully. “Well, you're light enough, I could put my arm around your waist and hoist you up a bit I suppose.”

“Oh, that's dignified.” Ginny rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the offer, but I believe I grew out of playing giant steps when I turned six.”

“You see, when you go to the bottom end of the market, you can't really expect anything but the most basic social abilities in your partner.” Pansy Parkinson passed by on the arm of Goyle and glared coldly at Draco and Ginny. “They don't even have the decency to try and cover their disgusting disfigurements to protect the more delicate sensibilities of the people around them.” She laughed at Ginny's suddenly pale face as she stalked by. “Oh dear, are we playing we-can't-see-the-scar tonight? Is everyone trying to make you feel like a normal wo…Aaargh!”

Cordelia covered her mouth with a slim brown hand and widened her eyes apologetically. “Ooops!” She looked down where the back of Pansy's robes was caught under her spiky heel and then up at the girl now standing in two sleeves and an apron of material hanging from her neck. “I am SO sorry, but I'm afraid that's what you can expect when you're too cheap to pay for decent cloth. Nice panties though.” She flashed a brilliant smile as Pansy screamed and alerted the entire hall to her dilemma before running for the door and shouted after her. “Shame about the lard butt in them!” Another scream was heard from Pansy as Willow managed to stick out a foot and send her flying before flashing a wicked grin and a thumbs up at Cordy as she melted back into the crowd. Cordy giggled as she kicked the shreds of Pansy's robe under a nearby table. “This is great, I feel like I'm back at high school.”

Ginny stared at Cordelia in awe. “That was so cruel.” Her face shone with happiness as she hugged Cordelia. “Thank you.”

“Yes, unbelievably cruel.” Draco waited for Ginny to release Cordelia and then gave her his own hug. “Thanks, Mum.”

Cordy tried for a modest smile but failed and settled for a wicked grin. “Well, no one ever said I was a benevolent god.” The smile on her face dimmed slightly as she saw Angel heading her way with a stern expression and a purposeful stride. “Uh-oh, here comes Mr-sucketh-the-seasonal-joy, I'm outta here. Go dance.” Hurrying as fast as her five-inch spikes could carry her, Cordelia made for the far side of the hall and the safety of Giles and Wesley.

Draco raised his eyebrows at the thunderous expression on Angel's face and grabbed Ginny's hand. “Good idea.” Having no wish to get caught up in Angel's righteous wrath, Draco shoved his way through to the centre of the dancing throng and pulled Ginny close. “Just shuffle and don't look up, we can go back and sit down in a minute.”

Ginny wrinkled her nose where it had bumped against Draco's ribs and murmured quietly. “Ow.” She sucked in a breath as his bandaged hand skated her skin on her back and then sniffed as she caught a whiff of the scented shower gel Angel had helped him use earlier. Slowly her head tilted forward until she could rest her cheek on his chest. Draco glanced down in surprise as he felt the tenseness leave Ginny's body and then grinned stupidly at Buffy and Spike as they waltzed past.

He slipped his arm more securely around her and pressed her hand over his heart as they began to sway together slowly to the music.

Buffy sighed as she watched Ginny's eyes drift closed and then turned her head to press it against Spike's neck. “I love you.”

Spike returned Draco's stupid grin with an even dafter one of his own and pressed a kiss to Buffy's shining hair. “I know, Slayer, I love you too.” He stroked his thumb idly over the exposed skin on her back and murmured. “You're it for me, love; the beginning, the middle and the bleedin' bloody end.”

Buffy smiled against his skin and pressed closer. “Back atcha, Fang.” She lifted herself up on tiptoe and rubbed suggestively against him to whisper. “And I came prepared tonight, I'm going commando. I took my panties off in the bathroom before we came down.”

Spike stumbled as Buffy threw back her head and laughed at his shocked face. “Bloody hell, we're in a school, Buffy!”

“I always wanted to do it on a Principal's desk.” Buffy raised a suggestive eyebrow and then winked. “Dumbledore gave me the password to his office so I could use his fire to call London if I needed to. Wanna get naked and dirty when the kids are in bed later?” Her answer was a growl and a hard thrust of Spike's hips against hers. “Cool. I wonder if he's got a spare robe in there. You'd look so hot as a teacher.”

“Knock it off, Buffy.” Angel edged past them as he saw Cordelia dodge behind a pillar a few feet away and then peer cautiously around it. “I actually want to try and eat something later. Cordy…” He scowled as she spotted him and fled towards Molly and Arthur, seated chatting at a table near the hall doors. “Goddamit, I have to find the only woman in the world that can sprint on heels.”

Buffy pouted as he plunged off in hot pursuit of his erstwhile mate. “Hey, I sprint in heels!” She looked up at Spike's glazed face. “I do that all the time! Spike? Sweetie? You in there?” She tugged her hand from his and waved it in front of his face. “Spike?”

  
  
  


* * *

Kit and Harry sat side by side and watched with riveted eyes as Snape and Liz talked quietly together on a love seat at the side of the hall, overlooking the glittering array of wizarding society. “Did he just smile?” Harry spoke without turning his head. “He did, he did it again!”

Kit shook her head slowly. “Oh, this is bad. Very, very bad.” She kept her eyes fixed on her mother as she said angrily. “I don't get it, she's as muggle as I am; why's he so interested in her?” Her jaw dropped as Liz shifted and the folds of her dress resettled. “Is she holding his hand?”

“Yeah.” Harry barely repressed a shudder. “Without him threatening her, as well. Bloody hell.” He patted Kit's arm absently. “And Snape doesn't hate muggles.” He heard Kit's snort and explained. “Snape hates everyone. He's mostly fair about that. Not even the Slytherins get much special attention these days.”

“I don't understand.” Kit was getting more worried by the minute at her mother's rapt face lifted to Snape's. “When did this happen, how did I miss it? I mean, you'd think you'd notice your own mom sneaking around with a big greasy bat and them getting friendly, right?”

Harry tilted his head thoughtfully. “Depends on how friendly, I suppose.” He finally looked away from Liz at Kit's moan and grinned. “Don't worry, he won't be able to keep pretending he's human forever. She'll see through him and then you'll never have to see this again.” His unwilling eyes slid back to the older couple. “I bloody well hope.”

Kit sent a hopeful prayer to whoever might be listening that that would indeed be the case and then took a moment to send one on its way on her own behalf, she took a deep breath and forced herself to ignore her canoodling mother. “Harry, do you like me?”

Harry, confident seducer of women that he was, jumped in his seat and looked panicked. “What?”

Kit forced herself not to wipe her sweating palms on her dress and stuck out her chin. “Do you like me? It's not a difficult question.” She saw his eyes dart nervously round the room looking for rescue. “Only I think you do and I like you. A lot.” She smiled hopefully. “Do you get what I mean?”

Very much afraid he was about to pass out, Harry nodded. “Yeah, like friends.” He gave her a sickly smile. “We're mates.”

“No, we're not mates!” Kit spoke much louder than she intended and hurriedly lowered her voice as Professor McGonagall looked around from where she was talking with Madam Pomfrey. “I mean, we're friends, sure, but are we more than that?”

“Er…” Wishing that the collar on his dress robes wasn't suddenly so tight, Harry pulled at them nervously and hazarded. “We're good friends?” From the look on Kit's face that wasn't the answer she'd been looking for. Harry tried again. “Really good friends?”

“No, Harry.” Kit glared at him in exasperation and went for broke. “For God's sake, you're seventeen, how can you not know when someone has the hots for you? I fancy you, ok? Like Connor fancies Dawn and like Ron fancies Hermione. I want to go places with you and hold your hand and have the occasional kiss.” She threw up her hands in annoyance. “Possibly get to heavy petting someday.”

Harry gaped at her. “You what?”

“Draco said you were interested in me.” Kit, looking anything but lover-like, leaned forward and hissed. “And I'm definitely interested in you. He said that, and I quote, ‘Stop letting the prancing light-weight act like a total tosser and take the initiative,' end quote.” She narrowed her eyes and said in a tone of voice that sounded more like a threat than an invitation. “So, are you going to kiss me, or what?”

“Er…” Harry's eyes darted back to the packed hall. “Now?”

“Harry, if I wait for you to work up your nerve, I'll be as old as my mom.” Kit narrowed her eyes warningly. “I'm not waiting, it's now or never. Either you like me or you don't, make up your mind.”

Harry stared wordlessly at her as the seconds ticked slowly by and then jolted out of his shock as Kit's eyes filled with embarrassed tears and she stood in one quick motion, prompting him to clumsily grab her hand with his. “Don't go!” He stood and then shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. “There's people…”

Cordelia rolled her eyes as she shot past. “For God's sake, kiss the girl.” She looked back over her shoulder and saw Angel skirt McGonagall's table. “Crap, he's worse than a bloodhound.”

Harry and Kit watched bemused as the brunette dived back onto the dance floor with Angel barely five steps behind her. Kit, well used to the slight insanity that seemed to be part of every past and present Scooby's genetic make-up, was the first to recover and with a shake of her head dismissed Cordelia and Angel from her mind. “I mean it, Harry, now or ne…” She blinked as Harry bent and pressed a shy kiss to her open mouth. “Oh.”

Blushing furiously, Harry said nervously. “Was that alright?” He moved a step closer and added hesitantly. “We could do it again if you like.”

Kit gave him a wide smile and raised her arms to link them around his neck. “Ok. Only if you want to.”

“I think I could use the practise.” Harry ignored Dawn and Connor grinning and doing the victory dance just over Kit's left shoulder and looped his arms around her slim waist. “If you don't mind.”

“Nope.” Eyes dancing with happiness Kit pointed upwards to the bushel sized spray of mistletoe above their heads. “I was kinda hoping you'd get the hint some time tonight.”

Harry laughed and bent his head. “Right.” His lips brushed over hers and then pressed more firmly as he whispered. “Hint received and understood.”

Kit sighed as she felt a very pleasant tingle wherever his lips touched her skin. “Finally.”

  
  
  


* * *

Ron was not having quite as good a night as his friends. Having forgotten in the shock of Snape's arrival to tell Hermione how nice she looked, he had been abandoned shortly after they had eaten and had watched as she had danced with one after the other of the Fang Gang and Scoobs and then for the final insult had somehow managed to find Viktor Krum in the packed hall and was now on her third dance with him and showing no signs of returning to their table. “How's it going?” Connor dropped into the seat next to Ron and glanced at where Hermione was dancing with Viktor and smiling up at him. “She looks like she's having a good time.”

Ron tried to drum his bandaged fingers on the table and then thumped it with his fist when he couldn't manage it. “What's she bloody playing at?”

Connor raised his eyebrows and privately thought Hermione was playing with fire, but said in a neutral voice. “She's just dancing.”

“With Victor bloody Krum!” Ron could feel his temper slipping away from him and fought to control it. “She hasn't looked at me all night.”

Connor cleared his throat and glanced casually around the hall seeing where the others were in case they were needed to sit on Ron to stop him making an idiot of himself before the night was over. “She's just having fun.” He caught Draco's eye as he stood talking with Wesley and Gunn and gave a slight jerk of his head to indicate Ron and then the dancing Hermione. Draco frowned and then nodded in understanding; he excused himself hurriedly to Wes and Gunn and hurried across to where Kit and Harry were still kissing under the mistletoe. Connor leaned back in his chair and tried to spot Dawn. “You could go cut in.”

If Ron saw Connor's wince at his choice of words he gave no sign of it. “She doesn't want me to.” His face twisted with bitterness. “Look at her, all over him.”

Connor obediently looked at Hermione, but thanks to his non-green eyed monster status, was also able to see the sidelong glances she was sending at Ron to make sure he was watching her and repeated. “She's just dancing.” He looked up in relief as he felt a hand on his shoulder and then his heart plummeted to his black formal shoes as he saw Spike grinning down at him.

“Alright, lads?” The vampire perched on the edge of the table and nodded at Viktor and Hermione. “Who's the fella with the stoop and the face like a wet weekend? Thought that chit was yours, mate.” Spike smirked at Connor as he thumped his leg and continued with studied innocence. “I wouldn't let a git like that hang all over my girl.”

“I think I hear Buffy calling you, Spike.” Connor glared at the demon. “It sounds important.”

Spike grinned. “Nah, she's over there with Willow and Fred talkin' babies, you must be hearin' things.” He dodged Connor's next swipe and took the seat next to Ron. “She's been a bit busy to talk to you tonight, eh?”

“There's a lot of people here.” Ron gritted his teeth at Spike's knowing nod and added. “And we're not together.”

“Oh.” Spike looked surprised and raised a placating hand. “Sorry, mate, the nose must ‘ave it all wrong.” He glanced at Hermione and blinked. “Just as well, eh? Looks like ‘er and the miserable looking sod are getting friendly.” Ron's chair tipped back with a crash when he leapt to his feet to all but dive over the table as Viktor tried to turn Hermione's unwilling face up for a kiss. Spike cupped his hands around his mouth to shout helpfully after him. “Punch his lights out and chuck her over your shoulder, the birds love that macho nonsense!”

“Crap!” Connor jumped to his feet and glared at Spike. “I am so going to stake you.” He moved around the table. “Ron, wait!”

Spike rubbed his hands together gleefully. “This is better than bleedin' ‘Passions'.” He nodded to Cordelia as she paused to watch the start of the floorshow. “Alright, cheerleader?”

“Uh-huh.” Cordy glanced over her shoulder and saw Angel had enlisted Gunn's help to flank her in a classic pincer movement. “That guy never gives up!” She pointed at Ron as he wrenched Viktor away from Hermione and shoved him back. “Study this carefully, I want details.”

“Gotcha.” Spike nodded agreeably as Cordelia avoided Gunn with inches to spare, making for Buffy and the other girls and turned his attention back to the dance floor, musing. “Maybe there's a way to tape it.”

“Ron!” Hermione made a wild grab for Ron's arm as he cocked it back to punch Krum's teeth down his throat. “What are you doing?”

Shaking her off, Ron raised his bandaged fist again. “Stay out of this, Herm.” “Her-my-oh-ninny, vat is happening?” Glowering at Ron, Viktor said condescendingly. “I do not fight schoolboys.” His head snapped back as Ron's fist landed squarely on his nose and he grunted as he staggered back a step.

“Weasley, stop it.” Draco stepped between Ron and Viktor as Connor pinned Ron's arms to his side and shook his head calmly. “You're handling this all wrong.” He held up a silver-serving platter with a wide grin. “Hit him with this instead, much more effective than fists that look like they're wearing pillows.”

“DRACO!” Hermione knocked the silver tray from Draco's hands and glared furiously at Ron. “How dare you? What gives you the right to…”

Ron went stock still in Connor's grasp and stared at her. “What gives me the right? I'll tell you what gives me the bloody right, Hermione, I'm sick to bloody death of creeping around night after night for a quick kiss and grope when you let that bloody idiot put his hands all over you in front of the entire school and do what the bloody hell he likes.”

Hermione reeled back as though he'd slapped her. “Shut up, Ron.” She looked nervously at their rapt audience that now included her whole house as well as Ron's parents, Molly watching with a smile on her face and a restraining hand on Arthur's arm. “You're being silly; you know we're not like that.”

“You bloody pathetic liar.” Ron strained against Connor's hold and shouted. “What are you so frightened of?” His eyes found Harry's in the silent crowd. “I'll bet Harry won't even care.”

Harry shrugged apologetically at Hermione and kept an arm around Kit's shoulders as he glanced pointedly at the American girl. “Not especially. Sorry, Herm.”

Hermione flushed with temper and embarrassment. “I am not frightened of anything, least of all Harry.” She squirmed as people began to crane their necks to see at the back of the growing crowd. “There's nothing for him to know.”

“Liar!” Ron struggled in Connor's arms and was alarmed to find tears of frustration rising in his eyes. “Why won't you let people know about us? Are you really that ashamed of me?”

“No!” Hermione gasped and looked pleadingly at Ron. “Of course not.” Her heart thumping painfully against her ribs with adrenaline, Hermione still couldn't make her mouth shape the words Ron wanted to hear. “There's just nothing to tell.”

“Right.” Ron's face was fish-belly white in the bright lights of the hall. “Fine. Thanks for clearing that up, Hermione.” He looked at Viktor, dabbing his nose with a handkerchief and couldn't resist a last bitter shot. “Looks like the more famous man won. Connor, let me go.” When Connor hesitated, Ron almost howled. “Just let me out of here.” He stumbled as Connor released him and with a last broken look at Hermione, shoved his way through the crowd and out of the hall leaving Hermione standing stricken behind him.

“Herm…” Dawn and Kit hurried to their friend's side and peered worriedly at her. “Are you ok?”

Hermione gave them a dazed nod and tried to smile. “I'm fine.” She shook her head. “I…I'm sorry, I don't know what got into him.”

“Oh for fuck's sake, Granger, cut the crap.” Draco glared at the shaken girl. “We all know.”

“What?” Hermione looked around at the condemning expressions surrounding her. “You can't, we were so careful.” She slapped a gloved hand to her mouth in horror as she realised what she had said.

Draco rolled his eyes. “Yes, I believe that proves my point. Not exactly fantastic at this subterfuge business are you?”

Fat tears spilled over Hermione's lower lashes and she repeated plaintively. “We were so careful.”

“And now you've hurt my brother.” Ginny glared coldly at her friend and crossed her arms. “How could you do this to him, Hermione?”

“I…I didn't mean to.” Desperate for understanding, Hermione turned to Dawn. “I just didn't know what to do, it all happened so fast and then before I knew it we were finding reasons to be alone together everyday and then I couldn't stop it. I didn't know what to do!”

Dawn looked sympathetic but replied coolly. “You were meant to stop being such a coward and be honest about your feelings for him.” She shook her head. “It's bad enough you lied to us and him, but you've been lying to yourself as well, Herm.”

Hermione's face bleached white, except for two high spots of colour on her cheeks. “No, I haven't.” She found she couldn't meet Dawn's eyes and whispered at the floor. “I just wanted to get it right.”

“Hermione, liking someone isn't a piece of homework or a test.” Harry cocked his head to the side and studied his friend as though he'd never seen her before. “There's no right or wrong here.”

“Lucky for you.” Draco folded his arms and said scathingly. “I think we can all agree that you'd have failed any and all tests here tonight.”

“Draco…” Connor shook his head warningly but Hermione interrupted him.

“He's right, you all are.” She shook her head and more tears slipped down her cheeks. “What was I thinking behaving that way? Ginny, I'm going to find Ron and sort it out with him, I promise.” She took a deep breath and tried to stop crying. “I just don't know how.”

“My advice?” Dawn gave Hermione a wide smile and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Talk naked. Don't waste time trying to tell him that you love him just show him!”

“Oh, I don't…that is…” Hermione blinked at Dawn and then sobbed. “Oh God, I do; I love him. I've ruined everything.”

“Nuh-uh.” Dawn turned Hermione towards the hall doors and gave her a helpful push. “You haven't ruined anything. Remember what I said and next time tell Ron how you feel, not a hall full of people.” She watched as Hermione pushed her way through the crowd and ran out of the hall, then clapped her hands. “Ok, people, the show's over; let's move it along.”

Draco stepped in Viktor Krum's way as he tried to follow Hermione. “Take another step and I'll go and find that tray.” He lowered his voice and leaned down to whisper in the older man's ear. “Stay away from Granger or my brother and I will come looking for you. They're my friends and I won't see you interfere anymore.” He straightened up and then bent down again as another thought occurred to him. “And if you tell anyone I said that I'll beat you into mush and feed your remains to my dad, ok?” He turned away from the startled Bulgarian and almost trod on Ginny, who was standing directly behind him.

“Let's go get a drink.” Ginny felt her heart go thump as she looked up at Draco's embarrassed face and slipped her arm through his with a radiant smile. “And then I want to dance with you again. A lot.”

Cordelia watched her sons walk away with their girlfriends and then jumped a mile as a cool hand clamped onto her arm. “Cordy.” Angel looked forbiddingly down at his mate and said firmly. “A word?”

“Now?” Cordelia flashed a mega-watt smile and tried to free her arm. “I'm kinda thirsty…”

Angel raised his eyebrows. “Must be all that running you were doing.” He tugged his reluctant mate towards a dim corner. “I'd like to have a little talk about certain Higher Beings who are meant to be above petty revenge on spiteful children, no matter what the provocation.”

Cordelia tried to dig in her spiky heels but only ended up sending up a shower of sparks as Angel carried on stalking towards the shadows. “I don't suppose that little talk would include telling me what a wonderful mate I am and how much you want to see me naked?” Her shoulders sagged as Angel sent a fulminating glare over his broad shoulder. “Didn't think so.”


	37. Chapter Thirty-Two

Christmas morning dawned bright and sunny over Hogwarts and the start of the holiday was marked by a piercing scream that had all within range sitting bolt upright in bed and groping blindly for weapons that weren't there. Dawn led the charge from the girl's dormitory, flinging open the door to stumble blindly into Draco and Connor as they sprinted up from where they had spent a very uncomfortable night in the common room thanks to Ron and Hermione commandeering the boys' dorm. “What's going on?” Dawn staggered backwards as she bounced off Draco's t-shirted shoulder and then nodded absently as Connor's hand righted her. “Thanks. What was that?”

All heads turned towards the training room as the scream sounded again. Connor handed Kit her axe that he'd grabbed from the cabinet downstairs as all those with wands sprinted down the corridor and burst into the room that contained the visitors from London. “Buffy!” Dawn started down the narrow passageway that divided the room into two halves, thanks to the temporary partitions that had been erected to give a semblance of privacy to their guests. “Buffy, what's going on?”

“It's ok, Dawn.” Buffy's voice was shaking with laughter as she called out from the far end of the room and then she popped her head out to smile at her sister as Dawn approached. “Just a little seasonal amphibious fun.”

Dawn's face was a study in confusion until Buffy stepped back and allowed her an unrestricted view of a wild-eyed Willow standing on her bed, back plastered to the wall as two half-naked vampires and a former rogue demon hunter blundered around the small space trying to catch two chocolate frogs as they hopped and croaked their little brown asses off. “Oh.” Dawn tried to stop the giggle that rose but couldn't help herself as Spike and Angel both lunged for a frog at the same moment and cracked heads with some very unfestive curses. “Oh dear.”

“What's going on?” Connor peered over Dawn's head and winced as he was treated to an unrestricted view of his father's backside clad in nothing more than white briefs as Angel bent to grab at the melting frogs. “Oh God, my eyes!”

“What's the matter? Bloody hell…” Draco stopped trying to shove Connor out of his way and clapped protective hands to his own eyes. “Dad, give me a little warning next time, would you?” He felt the brush of soft hair against his arm as Ginny tried to see past him and hurriedly clamped his free hand over her inquisitive face. “Trust me, you'll thank me later.”

“Get them out, get them out!” Willow danced up and down on her pillow and squeaked with fright as one of the frogs leapt for the relative safety of the bed. “Get them OUT!”

“She has issues with frogs.” Buffy couldn't help the quiver of mirth in her voice as Ron and the rest of the Hogwarts crew stared in amazement at the bad-ass witch that had stood up to Voldemort without turning a hair quiver with terror against the wall. “Go on and get dressed, we'll deal with this.”

“Gonna eat you, little froggy.” Spike shoved Wesley carelessly out of his way and sprang after the frog, landing in a crouch on the bed and grabbing wildly for the out of control sweet. “Gonna crack you open and suck you dry…”

“And on that note I think we'll go and get dressed.” Dawn giggled at the frog leapt out of Spike's hands and landed on Willow's foot as the witch screamed in terror. “See you downstairs, Buff.” She ushered the others away from the door, waving to a bleary eyed Gunn and Fred as they peered out of their room and slipped her hand into Connor's as she shivered in the cold morning air. “Ok, who brought the chocolate frogs in here?”

Draco scowled as everyone turned to look at him. “Not me I assure you.” He winced as another piercing scream sounded from Willow. “I think they're foul things and I seriously doubt even I would hesitate to get my evil jollies by way of threatening muggles with unfamiliar confectionary.” He sniffed in annoyance. “I have some standards, you know.”

“It's not just up here. They're all over the common room.” Harry smiled shyly at Kit as she caught his eye and coughed nervously. “Um, I bought some for Rob and Luc; they must have gotten out of the stockings downstairs.”

“How many did you buy?” Connor stabbed downwards with his sword and impaled another hopping delicacy as it tried to make its way past him. “They're everywhere!”

“Well I bought some, so did Ron, so did Hermione and I think Ginny got some as well.” Harry turned to Ginny with enquiring eyes and she nodded guiltily as a fierce curse from Angel followed them out into the corridor just before a loud crash was heard Willow's room

“Oh dear.” Ginny stopped dead and pointed at the corridor leading down to the common room where a veritable army of chocolate frogs were making their way along the floor. “I don't think we wrapped them up very well.”

“How many did you buy?” Draco kicked a frog out of his path and stared in disbelief as yet more frogs appeared over the top of the stairs. “Have they been breeding?”

“Can they do that?” Dawn started to laugh as the frogs swarmed over their feet and Connor started to stab downwards frantically at the writhing mass around their ankles. “Where did you get them from?”

“Fred and George said they could get them at half price if we bought from…” Harry started to laugh as he realised what had happened. “They charmed them. I thought it was too good to be true.”

Another piercing scream was heard from Willow, along with an extremely pithy comment from Giles as the frogs evidently found a way into his room. “I think we'd better just leave them to it and go get dressed.” Dawn motioned to Ginny and Kit and started down the corridor as she called over her shoulder to the boys. “You'd better get Ron and Hermione up.”

“Gotcha.” Connor dropped his sword and started to kick his way through the small bodies on the floor. “Is anyone else starting to get hungry?”

Harry screwed up his face in disgust. “Connor, don't even think about eating any chocolate that's been on the floor.”

“Weasley! Granger!” Draco hurriedly banged his clenched fist on his still locked dormitory door as Connor started to argue with Harry that if he took a frog off the top of the flood of chocolate then it was unlikely it would be very dusty and therefore quite palatable. “Get up, you lazy sods, we want to get dressed.” He pressed an ear to the door and grinned as he caught the murmur of low urgent voices. “You'd better be quick, Ma Weasley doesn't know where we all slept last night yet but she'll be up in a bit to get her little Ronniekins up and ready for the day.” He stepped back as the door was wrenched open and a very tousled Hermione Granger stood bare footed in her wrinkled dress before him. “Morning, Granger. Sleep well, did we?”

Hermione brushed past them and blushed furiously when Harry, Connor and Draco all grinned at her dishevelled hair and make-up smeared face and then turned as one to Ron, still in his bed and grinning like a maniac. Draco found it all very amusing right up until the minute he caught the rumpled covers on his bed from the corner of his eye and then had glared at Ron's suddenly guilty face. “Tell me you didn't.”

Ron tugged his blankets up a little higher on his naked chest as he looked from Draco to his unmade bed and shrugged apologetically. “Sorry, mate.”

Draco ignored Harry and Connor's confused faces and fought the urge not to throw up at the thought of Ron and Hermione naked together in his bed. “That's revolting!”

“Actually it was very good.” Ron sniggered as Draco's face twisted in revulsion.

“Don't worry, it was only the once. We realised where we were when we finished and then moved into my bed.” Connor started to laugh as he put two and two together and Harry made a strangled noise in his throat. “You have a very comfy mattress.”

“You….Granger…” Draco pointed wildly between Ron and his own bed. “NAKED?”

“Well, yeah.” Ron sat up and let his blankets pool on his lap as he watched Draco's face turn purple with outrage. “It's sort of necessary in these particular circumstances. We'd have looked pretty bloody silly trying to do it with our clothes on. By the way, did you lot notice anything funny about your hands?”

“All better.” Harry demonstrated by waving his palms in the air and moved a prudent few steps away from Draco who was making an alarming hissing noise. “Nothing but a faint scar.”

“We haven't had a chance to speak to Giles or Wes about it yet, but Dawn said last night that we should wait until Christmas is out of the way or we'll be eating our dinner over a big pile of research.” Connor looked thoughtfully at his hands and then up at Draco whose eyes were bulging in his livid face. “You alright, pal?”

“IN MY BED!” Draco flung himself forward and knocked Ron flat on his back as he closed his hands around the Headboy's throat. “I'm going to KILL you!”

  
  
  
  


* * *

Nearly half an hour later, Connor frowned at his hair in the mirror as it resolutely failed to follow his comb's directions and instead flopped happily into his eyes much like it had been doing for the last two months. “Y'know, I think Cordy has a point, I need a haircut.”

Draco looked around from where he was slicking his own immaculately cared for hair down. “Ok, who are you and what have you done with Connor?” He smirked as Connor glared at him and then turned back to the mirror to tug the neckline of his robes into place. “It's not like you to care what devastation you might be wrecking on unwary bystander's vision with your unique approach to personal couture.”

“Today's a special day.” Connor tried one more time to get his unruly hair out of his eyes and then gave up with a sigh. “I just want to look good for Dawn.”

“Connor, the girl wouldn't notice if you had three eyes and were minus a nose.” Draco received a lusty sigh from his mirror and turned to his brother with a grin. “I doubt she's suddenly going to come to her senses about you just because you've finally noticed what the rest of us have been wincing about for months.”

“And it helps that I'm built.” Connor flexed his biceps and flashed a smug smile as the cotton of his shirt tensed lovingly around his straining muscles. “She really digs the whole muscle thing.”

Draco burst out laughing and shook his head as Connor lifted his shirt and looked proudly at his well-defined stomach. “Absolutely. Thank goodness you're pretty.” He cocked his head thoughtfully as Connor stuck his tongue out at him. “I'm very glad I met you.”

“What?” Connor dropped his shirt and blinked at Draco in surprise. “Where did that come from?”

Looking as though he'd rather like to know the answer to that himself, Draco shrugged uncomfortably and turned away to stare back into his mirror. “I just…I don't know. Someone must have slipped something into my tea this morning, forget I said anything.”

Connor stared at the back of Draco's head for a long moment and then walked across to his brother's side to meet his eyes in the mirror. “I'm glad I met you too. I'm sorry about everything that's happened to you but I'm glad that you ended up here with us.”

Draco smiled uncomfortably as he thought of Lucius Malfoy properly for the first time in weeks and felt a twinge of pain as he always did at his father's betrayal but then nodded to Connor's reflection. “I would never have been able to stay with my father in the service of the Dark Lord, I knew that in the summer when I took the mark.” He took a deep breath and grinned into Connor's sober eyes. “Of course I still think it's a little harsh to link me to bloody Potter and Weasel for the rest of my life as punishment but, all things considered, it could have been worse.”

“Too right, you could have been mixed up in a prophesy with Giles or Wes.”

Connor watched Draco for a few seconds and then grinned in relief when he saw no sign of any real regret at his circumstances just a bittersweet look in his eyes as he went back to fiddling with his collar. “Think how bored you'd be with those two chasing you around getting you to look at dusty old books all the time.” A man of action to the core, Connor shuddered with horror at the thought of his own personal nightmare of being trapped forever in a room with the Watchers and a limitless supply of research. “At least we get to have the occasional fight.”

“Yes, thank goodness.” Dryly Draco shook his head and turned away from his mirror for the last time. “What's keeping the other two? I'm bloody starving and if we've still got to go and drag the girls out of their room we won't bloody get anything to eat for ages yet.”

“Probably sorting out the whole Hermione thing.” Connor shrugged. “They just need a few minutes.”

“They've had twenty. And what could possibly need sorting out? They met, they wasted six incredibly tedious years of dancing around each other trying not to shag, they got it together and they finally got laid.” Draco scowled in disgust as he remembered something else. “In my sodding bed!”

Connor sniggered. “Well, y'know how it is in the height of passion…”

“In my bed, Connor.” Draco repeated himself and shivered. “When I think of what they did on my mattress.” His face screwed up in horror. “I've had Weasley's naked arse rubbing all over my sheets, not to mention Granger's…” He trailed off and paled. “Merlin, I'm going to have to burn it and just get a new bed, there's no way I can sleep there now.”

“I still think trying to strangle him was a little harsh.” Connor tried desperately to keep a straight face as he watched Draco kick bitterly at the end of his bed and stomp to his wardrobe to retrieve the bags of gifts for his fellow housemates before going to get the girls and heading downstairs. “Make love not war, bro.”

“Shut up.” Draco dragged his presents out and dumped the bags on the floor as he slammed the wardrobe door shut. “See how you like it when other people's bodily fluids are rubbed all over your sheets.”

“Eww.” Connor screwed up his face. “Nice image.” He turned as the door behind them opened and Ron and Harry came back from the bathroom. “You guys good to go?”

“Yep.” Wisely keeping his distance from Draco, Ron moved to retrieve his own gifts from where they were piled in readiness on his bed and exchanged smiles with Harry. “All sorted.” He grinned happily to himself as he started to collect his bags together, relieved that he could finally be honest and open with his best friend about his relationship with Hermione. He had been a little worried when he asked Harry for a quiet word, all too aware of the other boy's hatred for being excluded from anything, but he had found to his surprise that Harry was understanding of their reasons for doing so and then had shyly confessed the change in his relationship with Kit. Ron had a sneaking feeling that Kit had more to do with his friend's easy acceptance of the situation than Harry was letting on but didn't look a gift horse in the mouth and instead spent a happy few minutes listening to Harry extol the muggle girl's virtues as the-boy-who-lived blushed and stammered his way through the previous evening's events that Ron had missed.

“Are we still giving the girls their presents on our own?” Harry snatched up his own bags and tried to hide his impatience to see Kit now that they were all ready. His face kept breaking into a huge grin as he thought of how she eagerly returned his hesitant kisses and touches at the dance the previous night. He was pretty sure his feet hadn't touched the floor since she had kissed him goodnight at the foot of the common room stairs and he couldn't wait to be in the same room and have the opportunity to make sure that it wasn't all just a figment of his longing imagination. “We should get a move on if we want to do it before we meet the others downstairs.”

“Ok, stud, let's go.” Connor grinned as Harry flushed with embarrassment and gathered his own gifts in his arms to lead the way to the door. “I don't know where the hell they're going to put all this stuff.”

“I don't care.” Ron jiggled his overflowing bags in satisfaction. “I never thought I'd be grateful to bloody Voldemort for anything, but having to stay locked up in the castle and not being able to spend any money for the last four months has definitely made for a lot of good presents this year.”

“They deserve it.” Harry made haste to get out the door and get to Kit. “They've had a lot to deal with.”

“Excuse me?” Draco stomped after the others and tried to ignore the sudden nervousness at the thought of giving out his gifts that he had spent hours deciding on for his new house. “They've had a lot to deal with, what about me? I've lost my bloody inheritance and got landed with you lot for the rest of my natural life. Oh, and Weasley and Granger got laid in my BED! My life is ruined.”

  
  
  


* * *

Dawn looked around from brushing her hair at the light tap on the dormitory door. “Come in.” She smiled as Connor stuck his head in and beamed at the girls. “Hey, sweetie, we're nearly ready.”

Ginny scrambled off her bed as Connor led the boys into the room and Draco kicked the door shut behind them before walking to Dawn's bed and laying his bags down. He turned and smiled almost shyly at her and she swore the room suddenly got a little warmer. “Merry Christmas, Draco.”

“Thank you, Ginny.” Draco could feel the sappy smile on his face stretch wider but couldn't for the life of him do anything to stop it as he took in the sight of her dressed simply in a sky blue top and black pants with her hair hanging in it's usual curtain around her face. He sighed with brief regret that she hadn't caught it back as she had for the ball. “You too.”

“Morning.” Harry smiled uncertainly at Kit as she took his hand to lead him to her bed. “Did you sleep alright?”

Kit grinned at the nervous look in his eyes and pushed him into a seated position before planting a firm kiss on his mouth. Then she squeaked in surprise as his arms went around her waist and he pulled her between his spread thighs to deepen the kiss with a happy sigh. She pulled back only when they were both in danger of severe oxygen deprivation and blinked at Harry's flushed face. “Wow. What was that for?”

“For not being a figment of my imagination.” Harry smiled shyly and then bit his lip in concern at Kit's still stunned expression. “That's alright, isn't it? I mean you still want me to kiss you and everything, right?”

“Oh yeah.” Kit slipped onto Harry's lap and beamed at him as Dawn flashed her the thumbs up sign over his shoulder. “Definitely.”

“Ok, then.” Connor dropped a kiss on Dawn's nose as Ron and Hermione joined Harry and Kit on their bed and then gestured to Ginny and Draco to join him on the bed opposite. “We'll go first.” He released Dawn to grab his bags of gifts and then sat next to her before handing her the biggest one. “Happy Christmas, Dawn.”

Dawn stared in amazement at the slippery plastic bag overflowing with brightly wrapped parcels and then up at Connor. “All for me?” Her eyes widened as he nodded proudly and she looked back at the bag again. “Wow.”

Connor grinned at her dumbstruck face and decided to help her out. “Open this one first.” He took out a small parcel wrapped in blue foil from the top of the bag and held it out to her. “That's the main one, the others are just little things that my mom told me girls like.” He took the bag of gifts from her as she took the present from him and then watched as she carefully took the paper off to reveal a red velvet box.

Dawn glanced at him curiously and then opened it to find two golden bands nestling side by side on the padded interior of the box. “Connor.” Dawn nearly fumbled the box as she realised she was looking at matching wedding rings and swallowed the sudden lump in her throat.

“I figured that you might want something a bit more traditionally human to show that we're mated.” Connor took the box out of Dawn's slack hands and looked into her eyes. “If it's too soon, or you think that…” His nervous babble was cut off as she threw her arms around him and kissed him breathless.

Draco leaned away from his brother as Connor fell back against his side and grinned down at Ginny at his side. “I think she likes them.”

“Me too.” Ginny couldn't help her soft sigh as Connor and Dawn pulled back from each other and took the rings from their box to slip them on each other's fingers. “That's so romantic.”

“You wouldn't think so if you'd been the one to spend hours looking through catalogues searching for shiny bits of metal.” Draco tried his best to sound annoyed and impatient but couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face as Connor and Dawn shared another tender kiss. “Bloody hell, we'll be here all day at this rate.” He reached behind himself for his own bags and rummaged until he pulled out two long boxes. “Potter, Weasel, here you are.” He tossed the two gifts to Harry and Ron and privately wished he'd thought to bring a camera to capture the stunned looks in their faces as they clumsily caught the carelessly thrown parcels. “Salutations of the day and all that.”

“This is for me?” Ron stared at the cheerful paper wrapped box in his hands and then up at Draco. “From you?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously even as Hermione nudged him sharply in his ribs. “It's not going to explode is it?”

“Sodding hell, I didn't think of that.” Draco ignored the churning in his stomach as Harry began to unwrap his present and told himself he was just hungry. “Another perfect opportunity to demonstrate my innate evilness wasted.” Harry smiled absently at Kit as she helpfully took the ripped paper from him and opened the black leather box that had been revealed. He frowned in confusion for a moment before lifting out a leather harness with a thin metal sheath embossed with their house badge swinging from it. “They're shoulder sheaths to hold your wands.” Harry looked up at Draco as he shifted uncomfortably between Connor and Ginny, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else than his current location. “For when we get in a fight and you need to get to them quickly.” Harry's eyebrows rose as Draco flushed an uncomfortable red and tried to find his habitual sneer. “I didn't fancy getting my arse blown to kingdom come while you get yourself in a tangle with your robes.” The flush deepened as Ron held up an identical harness for Hermione to admire. “We all know what clumsy bastards you two are.”

“Thank you, Draco.” Harry ignored the insults and instead focused on the unspoken sentiment behind the gift. “It's great.” He looked down at the harness again and felt his throat tighten at the thought behind the present and the neediness to belong in Draco that he had ignored until that moment. “Thanks, mate.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Ron's hand clutched around the sheath and smiled at his long time enemy. “It's fantastic.” He handed the harness to Hermione and fumbled in one of his own bags at his feet. “Here's yours.” He tossed a square box to Draco and winced as the other boy just stared blankly at the gift to let it bounce off his knee and onto the stone floor. “Bloody hell, it's breakable you know.”

Ginny glanced up at Draco's stunned face and felt her heart turn over at the look of sheer surprise in his eyes as he looked at the box on the floor. She slipped off the bed and picked the box up before offering it to him with a smile. “Here, take it.”

“Give him this as well, Ginny.” Harry held out a long rectangle wrapped in red paper with snowmen on it. “They go together.”

Draco silently took the boxes from Ginny and sat staring at them before Connor nudged his elbow sharply and nearly sent the presents flying again. He balanced Harry's gift on his leg and opened Ron's first. Inside a plain cardboard box was nestled a heavy glass mortar complete with matching pestle, Draco lifted it out and held it up to the light to see an intricate engraving of his new house badge on the side. “For your potions and stuff.” Ron shifted uncomfortably on the bed and could feel his own embarrassed flush start at the expression on Draco's face. “You can always use an extra bowl, right?”

“Yes.” Draco cleared his throat to ease the sudden inexplicable constriction. “Thank you.” He carefully handed it to Connor and avoided everyone's eyes as he pulled the paper from Harry's gift. Twelve small glass bottles, again engraved with their house badge, nestled side by side in a polished wooden rack with the labels of their contents carved into the wood beneath them.

“I spoke to Professor Snape and he told me that you might be needing some stuff for your potions that he won't always be able to get access to here.” Harry fiddled with his glasses and watched as Draco lightly ran a finger over the much coveted jar of Stigan Spleen that he had been waiting on for almost a month in order to try a new potion that he had been carefully crafting to enable it's user to become invisible for short stretches of time without an invisibility cloak. “He said you might appreciate having some of it on hand if you needed it without having to bother him all the time.”

“Certainly.” Draco was alarmed to find that he couldn't make himself look up to meet anyone's eyes without the imminent danger of them seeing just how much getting a gift that had been carefully thought about and not just a token effort meant to him. “Thank you.” He touched the glass jars again with a careful finger. “This will be very helpful, Pot…Harry. Thank you very much.”

The girls all exchanged rolls of their eyes and smirks as the boys all concentrated on looking manly and unconcerned by the unseemly emotions that had suddenly sprung up and Kit finally broke the awkward silence. “Ok, well the jars of icky stuff are all very nice but I don't see any shiny papered goodness heading our way anytime soon, so knock off the male bonding moment and fork over the goodies, people.”

Ginny giggled and shifted on the bed slightly so her thigh pressed warmly against Draco's. “A girl after my own heart. Ok, I'll give out my stuff then.” She smiled in thanks at Dawn as she leant precariously over the bed and grabbed some bags off the floor and proceeded to hand out her gaily wrapped parcels. Connor laughed as he unwrapped his present and found a book on broomstick maintenance and a slim knife for whittling twigs for emergency repair, especially when he discovered the supple leather ankle sheath that meant it could double as a stiletto in other emergency situations. Dawn sighed as she uncovered a metal photo frame with a wizard photo of herself and Connor caught unawares as they lay talking in each other's arms before the fire in the common room one night. Hermione and Kit both beamed with delight as they uncovered long flowing robes, soft pink for Hermione and red for Kit and Harry and Ron both shouted with delight when their own parcels revealed the latest strip from their Quidditch team the Chudley Cannons. Ginny pulled the last package from her bag and held it out to Draco with a shy smile. “I hope you like it; Angel told me what you might need.”

Draco took the large flat package from her with a puzzled look and tore away the paper to reveal a leather-bound sketchpad and a small wooden box containing charcoals, pencils and a basic watercolour set. “Ginny…” Completely lost for words Draco stared between the articles in his hand and Ginny's nervous face. “I…”

“Is it alright?” Ginny peered up into Draco's eyes worriedly and then smiled in relief as she saw the look of delight there. “You like it.”

“Very much.” Draco turned until he blocked them from the rest of the room and shyly lowered his voice. “It's a wonderful present, thank you.” He hesitated. “I don't suppose you'd consider letting me sketch you later? I'd like to try the charcoals and it only seems right that you're my first subject.” He shook his head with a frown as Ginny blanched and eased back. “Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything, forget it.”

“No, Draco, wait.” Ginny's fingers itched to cover her scar as he stared intently at her face but she forced herself to stay still as she smiled determinedly up at him. “If you're sure that's what you want then I'd love to.” Her eyes blinked in sudden uneasiness. “With my clothes on though, right?”

The burst of unrestrained laughter from Draco had Ron, Harry and Hermione staring with dumbfounded expressions as he rocked back on the bed. “Definitely.” Still laughing, Draco watched as Ginny's face melted into a sheepish smile and squeezed her arm reassuringly. “Unless you really want to get your kit off in front of all our families as you pose in front of the Christmas tree later on?”

“What?” Ron abruptly stopped looking stunned at Draco's unusually jovial manner and forgot all about the season of goodwill. “What the bloody hell did you just say?”

Looking slightly uneasy herself, Hermione slid her hand hesitantly into his and shifted uncomfortably as Harry and Kit grinned at her unusually demonstrative move. “Ron, don't start.” She glanced over her shoulder at Draco and Ginny as they smiled into each other's eyes completely oblivious to the rest of the room. “I'm sure it's not how it sounded.”

“It better bloody not be.” Ron glared at Draco fiercely and felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise in warning as the boy completely ignored him to continue smiling into Ginny's eyes. “I might not want to beat him unconscious every time I see him now but that doesn't mean I want his hands on my sister.”

“Ok, Kit?” Dawn clapped her hands together and smiled pointedly at her friend still wrapped around Harry. “Your turn.”

Kit reluctantly scrambled off Harry's lap to retrieve her bags of gifts and then snuggled back against his chest as she began to hand them out. Connor and Draco both received their gifts of soft cotton shirts in black with appreciative smiles whilst Ron and Harry were both ecstatic to receive a ticket to the Chudley Cannon's first home game of the New Year. Dawn, Hermione and Ginny all got identical muggle make-up sets complete with back lit mirror in the lids and a box of the best chocolates Cordelia had been able to find when doing her own shopping in London. Kit grinned as Harry kissed her in thanks and linked her arms lightly around his neck to whisper softly in his ear. “Dumbledore says that the Quidditich matches have all been cancelled until the stuff with Voldemort is resolved, but the tickets will stay good for however long it takes. I asked Buffy and Spike for my own ticket for my present so maybe we could go together?” Harry turned his head and pressed a kiss to her smiling mouth as his eyes shone with happiness. Kit's smile widened. “I take it that's a yes?” She giggled as Harry kissed her again.

“I still have to give some of my gifts out.” Draco finally tore his eyes away from Ginny's and reached into one of his bags to bring out four identical velvet boxes with each girl's initials embossed in gold on the lids. He handed them to the appropriate person. “Merry Christmas.”

Hermione opened her box and gasped as she stared down at two gold stud earrings in the shape of a phoenix in flight. “Draco, they're lovely. You shouldn't have.”

“They go with my gifts.” Connor tossed long thin boxes in the same deep blue velvet to Ginny, Hermione and Kit and helped Dawn root out hers from her overflowing bag. “Only the best for our girls, right Draco?”

Draco scowled at Connor briefly before his face relaxed into an uncertain smile. “Of course.” He glanced at Ginny as she lifted a delicate gold chain with a pendant matching her earrings hanging from it. “Would you like some help putting it on?”

Ginny looked up into his eyes and swore she could actually hear her heart fall as she toppled headlong into love at the look of shy query in Draco's eyes. “Yes, please.” She stayed facing him as he leaned forward to clasp the chain around her neck and then moved her head suddenly to brush her lips across his cheek as he leaned back. “They're beautiful, thank you.” She held his eyes with hers as he froze and stared at her in a manner not unlike Harry when Kit had kissed him in the Great Hall. “I'm really glad you joined our house, Draco. It wouldn't be the same without you here.”

“That's good.” Connor looked positively delighted as he caught Ginny's low whisper and leapt into the breach to divert attention from Draco's achingly vulnerable expression at her words. “We're not gonna look like complete idiots when we show you our presents to each other now.” He grinned at Dawn's curious look and flicked open the top few buttons on his shirt to tug it down and reveal his right shoulder blade. “What do you think?”

Dawn reached out tentative fingers to touch the colourful tattoo of their house badge on his skin and the curling letter A that surrounded it. “Connor, when did you get this?”

“Spike arranged for someone to come up in secret a couple of days ago.” Connor's grin widened as Harry and the others all came forward for a better look. “What do you think?”

Ginny frowned between Connor and Draco. “You've got one too?” She eyed Draco as he nodded. “Where?”

“The same place.” Draco fidgeted under the pointed looks of his house and then rolled his eyes as he stripped off his robe and unbuttoned his own shirt to around and bare his own back. “There, see?”

“What's the A for?” Ginny couldn't help herself and traced the curve of the flowing letter with one fingertip, not seeing Draco close his eyes tightly and bite his lip at her touch. “What does it mean?”

“A for Angel.” Dawn felt a lump in her throat at the thought of the two most guarded people she knew marking their bodies for the rest of their lives with their commitment to each other. “It's a family marking.” She tugged Connor around to face her again and kissed him softly. “It's beautiful, Connor.”

“It's lovely.” Ginny pulled Draco's shirt over his shoulder and smiled as he began to button up his shirt. “What did Angel say when you showed him?”

“He hasn't seen them yet.” Draco straightened his robes and glanced briefly at Connor. “We were going to show him after breakfast. I don't know what he's going to say.” Although he hadn't needed much persuading when Connor had first approached him with the idea of getting the tattoos, Draco was ashamed to admit there was still a part of him that felt unsure of how everyone would react to blatant declaration of his loyalties and allegiance. Perhaps the strongest part of his bond with Connor was the needing to belong and be accepted by those he held dear as the person he was. Despite his claiming and the months spent living and working alongside his new family and house he was still not convinced that he would continue to be accepted by them after his part in the prophesy had been fulfilled.

“He's going to love them.” Dawn squeezed Connor's hand firmly. “This is going to mean the world to him.”

“Or he's going to go insane that his teenaged sons have gone and gotten illegal tattoos behind his back.” Hermione rolled her eyes and frowned reprovingly at Draco and Connor. “Just for once can't you two just try to do something normally?”

“It's a family thing, we're all insane.” Kit bent to give Connor and Draco affectionate kisses. “Thanks for the presents, guys, and I'm sure Angel is gonna love yours.” She grinned as she rubbed the traces of her lipstick off their cheeks and then ruffled their hair. “But I'd put money on the fact he's going to kill Spike for helping you.”

“Not today he's not.” Dawn reached for her own bags and then grinned slyly. “At least not until I've got my presents off him. Spike buys the best stuff.” She rummaged in her bags and began to pull out gift bags and parcels. “Ok, here we go. Gin, Draco, these are for you…” The room was filled with the sounds of ripping paper as everyone began to investigate what Dawn had got them.

“Oh, Dawn, this is lovely.” Hermione smoothed an appreciative hand over the supple leather cover of a book on the history of the Wicca and then touched an equally appreciative finger to the book on Wiccan spells beneath it. “Thank you.”

“Yes!” Kit punched the air as she found five new CD's in her own bundle and a leather bound copy of ‘Hogwarts: A History'. “Cool, new songs to train to.”

“Thanks, Dawn.” Harry grinned as he pulled out a copy of a new charm to improve his broomstick's performance he had been hankering after for months and a variety of sweets that had been shipped from Diagon Alley. “This is great.”

“Seconded.” Ron flashed the thumbs up to Dawn as he pulled out his own copy of the charm and popped open a box of Bott's Beans. “Anyone hungry?”

“Thanks, Dawn.” Ginny held up the dangly silver earrings that she had found in her own box and then nudged Draco. “What did you get?” She peered curiously into the gift bag Draco was grinning into and frowned as she saw several thin, colourful boxes. “What are they?”

“Muggle picture shows.” Draco smiled at Dawn as she winked at him and drew them out of the bag to show them to Ginny. “Dawn showed them to me the last time we opened a portal to Sunnydale and they're quite entertaining. You put the little disk into a machine and then it shows you what's on it on something called a TV.” He began to examine his presents with interest. “The Dirty Dozen, Die Hard, The Fast and The Furious…Why do all these films look as though they have people dying horribly in them?”

“Um, I saw them and I thought of you?” Dawn smirked at the glare Draco shot her and reached across Connor to pull the DVD's out of Draco's hands. “And they don't all have people dying in them. I got you Dirty Dancing, The Wizard of Oz and Casablanca, as well. They're classics.”

“The Wizard of Oz?” Hermione bounced on the bed and clapped her hands. “Oh, I haven't seen that film in years, can we watch it later?”

“That's the one where the kid melts the witch, right?” Connor looked dubiously at the film in Dawn's hand. “And where those little men get possessed. I don't think we should watch that in front of the kids, it's pretty scary.”

“Possessed?” Hermione swapped startled looks with Dawn. “I don't remember anyone getting possessed. There's the flying monkeys…”

“No, the little guys that live on the yellow street.” Connor nodded knowledgably at his friends. “They were living with a witch and when the house squashed her the kid came out and they all got possessed until she went and killed the witch's sister.” He shook his head with an exasperated roll of his eyes. “That's why you shouldn't let just anyone go battling evil, they never think long term badness. If it's been me to go kill the witch I'd have made damn sure that she didn't have any spells lying around that could do anything to her unwilling minions before I killed her. And dropping the house on her was just overkill, the kid could've just cut her head off.”

“Unwilling minions?” Dawn tried to keep a straight face as she held up the DVD box to show Ron a picture of the munchkins frolicking gaily on the back cover. Ron stared, blinked and then just stared back at Connor waiting for him to continue.

“Well, yeah.” Connor patted Dawn's hand comfortingly. “Obviously I'd kill all the willing ones.”

“Connor, I think you might have missed the point of the film.” Hermione started to giggle at the earnest look on Connor's face. “You see, the munchkins are happy the witch is dead and they can all behave how they should do.” She choked at Connor's confused face and tried to stop her laughter. “When they welcome Dorothy that's how they are usually. No one's possessed.”

It was Connor's turn to look surprised. “Seriously?” He looked at Dawn for confirmation and raised an unimpressed eyebrow when she nodded. “Huh. Nobody does that when I go around killing evil things.” He remembered a particularly piercing passage in the munchkins song and shuddered gratefully. “Thank the Powers.”

“So, Connor, what did you get?” Harry shook his head as Dawn joined Hermione in helpless giggling and looked at the long, narrow box he'd received from his girlfriend. “Come on, unwrap it.”

Connor darted one last disbelieving look at the DVD box as Draco took it back from Dawn to read the cover and tore the paper from his gift. A wooden box was revealed and he flipped the catch to see a long silver sword with a black polished wooden handle inlaid with silver and two matching daggers lying snugly under the hilt. “Wow.” He laid the box on the floor and reverently lifted the sword out to hold it in front of him and squint down the blade. “This is amazing, Dawn.” The metal of the blade winked in the light as he slashed it through the air and then whirled it around his head. “The balance is incredible.”

Dawn looked with soft eyes at the delighted look on his face and smiled lovingly. “Wes and Angel helped me. Do you like it?”

“It's perfect.” Connor replaced the sword reverently in its case and bent to capture her smiling lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Dawn shrieked with laughter as Connor plucked her off the bed and swung her exuberantly around through the air without any warning. “What are you doing?”

“I'm happy.” Connor squeezed Dawn to him tightly and kissed her soundly once more. “This time last year I was stuck in that loft in LA trying to avoid my dad and the others and now look at me. I've got you, I've got a new brother and I don't want to kill my dad anymore. How cool is that?”

“This is your first proper Christmas.” Harry grinned at the sight of Dawn and Connor spinning wildly around the room laughing loudly at the sheer joy of being alive and safe with their loved ones on Christmas morning and couldn't help himself turning to Kit and snatching a celebratory kiss of his own. “That's very cool.”

Draco rolled his eyes as all the established couples in the room indulged in a hearty snog fest with each other and nudged Ginny lightly instead of kissing her the way he wanted to. “And yet no one seems the least bit concerned that the most homicidal person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting has just been given yet another dangerously sharp implement to terrorise the populace with. Season of peace and goodwill, my arse.” He couldn't keep up the look of sneering superiority on his face at Ginny's radiant smile as she looked up at him and instead found himself grinning goofily as Ron stood up to follow Connor's example and snatch a giggling Hermione off her feet. “Merry Christmas, Ginny. I'm glad I joined your house too.”


	38. Chapter Thirty-Three

The common room of Durus Cateanus was a scene of uncontrolled mayhem an hour later when everyone had gathered together and all presents had been opened. Roberto and Luca were both cycling at full speed on matching red tricycles through oceans of paper, yelling at the tops of their voices and ringing the bells fixed to the handlebars as fast as they could. Buffy was trying to catch Spike to beat the tar out of him for buying said tricycles and the drum kits that had to be removed from the two small boys by force before they could be interested in their other presents. Angel was aiding Buffy in trying to catch the cackling vampire after he'd learned that his erstwhile grandchilde was the one responsible for the tattoos that now adorned his sons and Giles and Wesley were both apologising profusely to their hosts as yet another Sunnydale style Christmas got under way.

“Is it always like this?” Draco took a step back as Spike shot past him howling with manic laughter as Angel just managed to avoid tripping over Luca and falling head first into the fireplace and Buffy vaulted his tumbling body to somersault over the back of the sofa in a bid to catch her mate. “Can't they do anything calmly?”

“Nope.” Connor grinned as Spike faked Buffy out and leaped across the top of Cordelia's head to gain his freedom in the middle of the room. “This is pretty much how it goes, I think.” He shrugged at Draco's puzzled look. “It's my first proper Christmas with them too, remember?”

“This is definitely how it usually goes.” Dawn snuggled into Connor's embrace and eyed her new ring where it sparkled on her finger with satisfaction. “Last year we still had to beat the First and were up to our neck in Potential Slayers and all manner of badness and we still had to break up a fight between Spike and Buff when he decided a good gag gift would be to buy a lot of hyper, hysterical girls sacks full of chocolate laced with Pro-Plus.” She shook her head in amusement as she remembered Buffy making a spirited attempt to squeeze Spike's head into the ass of their Christmas turkey. “And they weren't even dating then.”

“Speaking of dating, is there any chance at all that my mother has stopped the smoochies with Snape yet?” Kit took her hand from her eyes and risked a peep at the silver wizard watch that had been Harry's gift to her. “Or that I've been in a fight I don't remember and am actually unconscious and I'm hallucinating my ass off?”

“Nope, still at it.” Ron watched the sight of his potions master lean down to mutter something to Liz where the muggle woman sat cosily ensconced by his side on the sofa and she took the opportunity to brush a kiss along his cheek as she replied to his remark. “I hope she's going to have a good wash later.”

“Oh, he's not that bad.” Ginny smiled mistily at the two adults and then looked at her friends, all of whom were staring at her in abject horror. “What?”

“The last time you decided someone ‘wasn't that bad' we ended up with ferret boy here, Gin.” Harry grinned at Draco to take the sting from his words and received a sly quirk of the other boy's eyebrows in return. “Not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it?”

“That worked out pretty well.” Hermione smiled shyly at Draco and then more reassuringly at Kit. “I think it's lovely your mum's found someone to share things with in that way.”

“Oh God.” Kit shuddered and burrowed into Harry's welcoming arms with a groan. “I really didn't need that visual.”

Harry brushed a kiss over the top of her head with a chuckle. “Don't think about it, sweetheart.” He blinked in confusion as Kit raised her head and beamed at him. “What?”

“Ahh, your first term of endearment.” Dawn sighed mockingly at her friends from Connor's arms and nudged her man. “Those were the days, right, babe?”

Connor rubbed his face over Dawn's hair lovingly. “Remember when I told you that I loved you?”

Kit lost the annoyed pout on her face at Dawn's mischievous teasing and giggled. “In a room full of demons and dead bodies.” She sniggered as Dawn poked her tongue out. “And then she yelled at him for doing it in the wrong time and place.”

“What can I say? Blood and hot chicks with weapons get me hot.” Connor grinned at his friends as they all made faces at his words. “And you have no idea how hot Dawn looks in leather and covered in demon guts.”

“Sadly, we do.” Draco rolled his eyes and smiled at Ginny as she smothered a laugh behind her hand. “On a far too regular basis.”

“But not in leather.” Connor waggled his eyebrows. “When she's in leather it's almost a religious experience.”

“Not unlike seeing your dad's face when he saw your tattoos.” Cordelia Chase glared at her sons as she joined the group by the Christmas tree and then broke into a huge grin of approval. “I think that's the happiest I've seen him since the night you were born, Connor.” She stopped and frowned thoughtfully for a moment. “Well, after we'd got rid of all the insane demonic kidnappers, anyway.”

Draco and Connor exchanged looks and smug smiles at the effect their tattoos had on their dad. Angel had been content with watching their faces as they unwrapped their joint gifts of a portable TV and DVD player and then he had just stared as they had unveiled the artwork on their backs and waited for his reaction. The vampire had stared in shocked silence for long moments as the room had quietened and then his jaw had begun to work as he took in the black A outlining the Durus Cateanus house badge. His eyes had gotten very large in his normally expressionless face as he realised that on top of everything, both boys had chosen to have their tattoos on the same shoulder that his own was on, making the intended gesture even more poignant. Cordelia shook her head again as she watched her two sons and reached out a hand to cup their faces lightly in her palms. “That was the best gift you could have gotten him. Angel's boys.”

“All the way.” Connor tipped his head to nuzzle his mother's hand and smiled shyly. “Yours too, right Draco?”

Draco squirmed as all eyes turned to him but he managed a twisted smile as Cordelia quirked an eyebrow at him. “I can't think of any other mother that would strip the clothes off girl's back in front of an entire school just to get even for a slight to her child's friend.” He unconsciously copied Connor's movement with his own head. “I couldn't have asked for a better role model.”

Cordelia swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and flashed a grin as she took her hands away. “Yeah, well let's not mention that to your Dad, ok?” She glanced back over her shoulder as yells of triumph sounded from the stairs to the dormitories where Buffy and Angel had finally managed to corner Spike upstairs. “It took a lot of fast talking and some serious lip work to get him to forget about that. And Willow was the one who tripped her up when the ugly little bitch tried to make a run for it, I don't get why she got off so lightly.”

“I didn't, don't think I didn't catch heck from Giles when he saw me do it.” Willow's gentle voice sounded uncharacteristically annoyed as she meandered over to join Cordelia and the others. “For an old guy he sure can move fast when he wants too.” She rubbed at her elbow where Giles had gripped her the previous night to make sure she couldn't sidle away from his annoyed lecture and hide until his blood pressure subsided. “And he's a lot meaner than he used to be.”

Cordelia snorted. “Huh, you want to see what Angel made me do to get him back into a good mood when we got back here last night.” Unconsciously her hand reached to rub at a certain tender area under her stylishly cut pants. “Y'know, that whole alpha male thing the vamps have going on for them can be taken too far.”

“Mom!” Connor looked horrified as his eyes darted between the reminiscent look on Cordy's face and her rubbing hand. “I don't want to know.”

“Just be thankful those silencing who-ja-ma-whotsits on our rooms held up, buddy.” Cordelia couldn't resist the opportunity of baiting the normally unflappable Connor. “You'd have been doing a lot more than just imagining what went on.”

Willow snorted with laughter as the eight teenagers all flushed brilliant shades of red and furiously pretended that they had no idea of what Cordelia was talking about. “Well if you guys weren't so good at saving people than maybe there'd be more room in the castle for guests and we wouldn't have to bunk down in your quarters.” She wagged a mocking finger. “Just be thankful that Anya isn't here, she'd have drawn you pictures by now.”

“Been there, done that.” Draco shuddered at the thought of Anya's infamous guest lecture in DADA. “Have no wish to repeat it.”

Dawn latched onto the slight change in subject with relief. “Have you heard anymore from Xander yet? Has he called in since breakfast?”

Willow's face broke into a huge smile at the thought of her best friend being back in his correct dimension. “He's pretty busy just getting used to being back with Anya and getting to know the baby.” She broke into giggles again. “Apparently Anya's first question after she woke up and fed the baby today was how long it would be before she and Xander could, ah, celebrate his homecoming.”

  
  


“Jeez, that chick has a one track mind.” Cordelia looked equal parts admiring and disgusted. “I thought that she'd be too busy getting over the birth to want to start doing what got her knocked up in the first place.”

“Uh-huh.” Willow nodded and laughed again. “But apparently she'd given it a lot of thought and as she didn't have a natural delivery or a c-section she doesn't see any reason why they have to hold off getting jiggy.” Willow's slender frame shook with the force of her mirth. “I could hear her yelling something about a chair and some cushions in the background as I was talking to Xander in the fire this morning.”

“Page thirty-six.” Hermione, Ginny, Kit and Dawn all looked at each other in surprise as they spoke at the same time and then joined Willow in giggling.

“Page thirty-six?” Cordelia looked with interest at the teenaged girls. “Page thirty-six of what?”

Willow suddenly stopped laughing and her face stared in pleading denial at Dawn. “She didn't give you a certain book before you left Sunnydale, did she?” Dawn's red face was all the answer the Wicca needed. “Oh Goddess, I can't believe she did that.” Willow pulled Cordelia's down so her mouth was on a level with the taller girl's ear and whispered something as the four boys looked with interest at their respective loves.

Cordelia's mouth dropped open with shock. “No way! The one with the ladder and harness on page ninety-eight?” She looked at Willow as she nodded frantically and then stared wide-eyed at Dawn and Connor. “Holy crap!”

“Ladder and harness?” Connor tried to peer around Dawn to catch her eye. “What kind of book is it?”

“And when do we get to see it?” Draco grinned at the four girls as they all blushed under his enquiring look. “I thought we were all soul-bonded and such, aren't we supposed to share these things?”

“Don't even think about it, missy!” Willow's resolve face came into play as Dawn went from looking embarrassed to thoughtful as she half turned in Connor's arms to eye him speculatively. “The minute I know Spike and Buff are safely out the way I'm confiscating that book.”

“Darn right.” Cordelia ignored the annoyed look from her sons and hissed in an aside to Willow as she turned away. “I lost my copy when I ascended and I can't remember how the one on page eighty-four is supposed to go.”

“Oh, you need to keep one foot on the floor and make sure that your head and neck are supported by the wall.” Willow ignored the muffled snigger from Kit as she followed Cordelia. “It helps if you've got something over your head to hang on to.”

Connor swallowed to ease his suddenly dry throat. “ Dawn…” He coughed to get his voice down from its sudden high pitched squeak. “Dawn, if you've got any love for me in your heart, don't give Willow that book.”

Kit looked desperately smug as she snuggled closer to Harry and enjoyed a pleasurable shiver as his fingers skimmed her hip. “Don't panic, stud; we made copies.”

Hermione avoided Ron's eyes as he stared down at her in surprised amusement, muttering defensively. “For training purposes. We wanted to improve our flexibility and stamina.”

“Tut, tut. And I thought you four were such good girls.” Draco refused to show just how much his own imagination was working overtime and forced himself to shake his head reprovingly at Ginny as she tried to melt out of sight into the Christmas tree. “I'm horribly shocked.”

“Really?” Connor caught Ron's eye as the taller boy tried to make the scarlet Hermione look at him. “I'm fascinated, what about you, Ron?”

“Breathless with anticipation.” Ron finally succeeded in capturing Hermione's chin and tilting her face up to his to drop a kiss on the tip of her nose. “You bad, bad girl.”

Kit suddenly straightened up as she caught a flash of red hair out of the corner of her eye. “Hold that thought, parent alert.” She grabbed Harry's hand as he went to remove it from her waist when he saw Molly Weasley heading towards them; arms piled high with several squashy parcels. “Hey, not so fast, Potter. I meant less with the potty talk not stopping with the touching.” She smiled into his abashed green eyes as he hesitated and then pulled her even closer. “That's the Christmas spirit.”

“Ron, Ginny, I'm so sorry, dears.” Breathlessly Molly stopped in front of them and then frowned as the top two parcels fell with soft thumps onto the floor. Draco bent to retrieve them and then hurriedly grabbed another couple from Molly's arms as the pile teetered again. “Oh, thank you Draco, love.” She shook her head as he tried to give them back. “Just have a look at the name tags and give them out for me, would you? In all the excitement this morning it quite slipped my mind to get them from my rooms and I don't want you to think I've forgotten them.”

Ron, Hermione and Harry exchanged resigned looks as they took their parcels from Draco and then stared dispiritedly at the lumpy parcels in their hands. She never forgot. Not one year. Merlin, just for once, they'd like her to forget.

Connor, flying high on the thought of illicit books and a major sugar rush from some equally illicit chocolate frogs, tore happily into his own parcel. “More presents? This Christmas thing is great!” He lost his happy look as the paper fell to the floor and he was left clutching a misshapen bundle of eyeball searing purple wool. “What is it?”

“A Weasley jumper.” Draco shook out his own gift and hoped the stunned look on his face could be taken for one of pleasure rather than the terror he was actually feeling. “I…don't know what to say.”

Ginny, not fooled for a minute by the look on Draco's face but loving him for trying, hugged her mother tightly. “Thanks, Mum, it's lovely.” She looked down at the purple jumper in her hands with a large G boldly embossed on it in gold and then at the seven other jumpers all bearing the initial of their new owners. “Aren't they lovely?”

A hasty chorus of stunned agreement sounded as the Eight all stared in disbelief at the contents of their hands and then another hasty chorus of thanks had Molly's eyes tearing up. “Oh, they're nothing. I'm glad you like them. Well, put them on, let me see if they fit.” Thankfully her eyes were misty enough to miss the paling of several faces and it was only with the barest pause that her charges complied with her wishes. Molly clasped her hands together against her chest as she beamed in delight at the eight mortified teenagers. “All of you look lovely.”

Not daring to look at each other in case they broke into hysterical laughter, all of Durus Cateanus concentrated looking appropriately grateful as they stood side by side doing a stunning impression of eight varying sized plums. Draco's face suddenly darkened as he caught sight of something over Molly's shoulder. “Don't even bloody think about it!” A blinding flash had them all reeling and rubbing at their eyes frantically.

Fred waved the camera she held in her hands merrily. “Can I have another one to send to my Mom and Dad? Y'all look so cute!”

Cordelia flashed an evil smile at her sons. “And I want one for Lorne. Smile, guys. This one's going on the Angel Investigations Christmas card next year!”

* * *

Once Draco had been stopped from trying to hex Fred and her camera, and Spike and Gunn had stopped howling with laughter out of sight of Molly, all of Durus Cateanus and their assorted entourage had made their way downstairs to join in with the celebrations with the rest of Hogwarts. There had initially been problems prising Draco and Connor's fingertips from the common room door when it came to be time to leave and they realised that Molly was expecting them all to wear their new jumpers to the lunchtime feast, but Angel had effectively solved the problem by solemnly promising that he would destroy all photographic evidence accumulated if they would only stop whimpering and act like men as they faced the destruction of their prized bad boy reputations. In the end it hadn't been that bad, although the stunned silence as they had walked into the Hall and the gales of cruel laughter from the Slytherin table would live on in Draco's nightmares for months to come, and they were soon seated at their table and tucking enthusiastically into the start of their Christmas dinners.

Professor Snape had reluctantly parted company with Liz to join the other professors at the top table but kept himself occupied, and the rest of his house appalled, by watching his companion as she sat between Willow and Giles listening with interest as they told her a small potted history of the Hellmouth. Despite the fact that he had been forced to put up with the company of his students and their families in order to see Liz on Christmas morning, he had none the less found it a most pleasurable experience to have his muggle open the door to her quarters at his knock and press a festive kiss to his mouth before pulling him into raucous and uncomfortably warm common room. Christmas had always been a festival of forced and uncomfortable familiarity with the people around him in years past and it was a measure of just how reluctantly fond of Liz that Snape was that he found himself capitulating to her pleading looks and requests to join her with the others on Christmas morning with barely a grumpy frown or growl in sight. He leaned back in his chair to sip thoughtfully at his goblet of wine as he watched Liz lean into Giles to hear a low comment and then throw back her head and laugh. Snape scowled in annoyance as Giles grinned down at her and then added another comment that made her rock with laughter as Willow giggled on her other side. The sooner the infernal feast was over and Liz was removed from the immediate vicinity of salt and pepper haired Watchers the better for all concerned. Snape really didn't think Dumbledore would let a jelly-legs curse go on one of their guests even if it was sort of in the spirit of the season.

Over at the Durus Cateanus table things were going swimmingly. The Christmas dinner that day was unlike any that Draco had attended before. Far more used to the formal celebrations of Malfoy manor or the stilted and restrained affairs at the Slytherin table he found he was having the time of his life as he sat in the middle of his new family and house at their table in the Great Hall. Everyone was bubbling with seasonal spirit and the joy of having Xander returned safely to them and the room echoed with their laughter and affectionate chatter as they ate. Connor was sat on Draco's left while Cordelia was at his right, exchanging good natured insults with Buffy and Willow as they reminisced about their high school days. A few seats along the opposite side of the table Ginny was seated between her elder twin brothers and kept shooting Draco blinding smiles as she caught his eye rocking with laughter at Fred and George's jokes. Every way Draco looked there were people smiling at him or waving forks laden with holiday food as they shovelled it into their mouths and he completely forgot about the other houses watching them and entered happily into a competition with Harry to see who could be the first one to flick a brussel sprout into Wesley's wine glass as he sat in deep conversation with Gunn and Fred at the end of the table.

“Draco, don't do that.” Angel leaned across Connor as Draco carefully sighted down the table and prepared to let fly with his third attempt. The vampire grinned as Draco froze guiltily and hastily put his fork down onto his plate. “Use a spoon, son. Better balance and angles. Watch.” Angel liberated Cordy's desert spoon stealthily and winked at Draco as the boy lost his sudden tenseness and returned Angel's smile with one of his own. “Bow to the master, kid.” He narrowed his eyes and then released the spoon to send the vegetable winging through the air and splashing down into Wesley's glass just as he raised it to take a sip. Draco and Angel both shouted with laughter as a small fountain of wine shot up Wesley's nose and made him choke and then hurriedly looked down at their plates as the Englishman stared angrily around him as he dried his face with a napkin.

“Angel, I really think you could be teaching the boy better things than that!” Wesley wiped off the last traces of wine from his skin and glared at his giggling friend. “Try to remember we're guests here.”

“Ok, who snuck the stake back up Wes' ass?” Cordelia looked accusingly around the table and then met Wesley's eyes with a wide smile until he reluctantly found himself grinning back. “I thought we all agreed that all Watcher related stuffiness was outlawed today?”

“And someone's obviously been partaking of the festive cheer over much.” Buffy snuggled into Spike's loose embrace happily and squirmed as his lips nuzzled happily over her pulse point. “Since when do our Watcher's ever lose their ‘stuff', Cor?” She smirked at Giles as he glared at her. “And we love you just the way you are, Giles!”

Connor was examining his laden plate with great interest as Dawn and Hermione patiently took him through the unfamiliar foodstuffs resting there. “And the stuff like demon vomit?” He poked his fork into his helping of bright yellow piccalilli and frowned as he dislodged a small onion from the mix. “What's that?”

Hermione winced at his chosen description but rose admirably to the challenge of, once again, civilising Connor Angel. “It's piccalilli, Connor. It's got all kinds of vegetables mixed in it and held together by a vinegarish sauce.” Hermione paused as Connor frowned down at his plate and poked the food again. “Um, spicy, like tacos. Heavens, don't do that!” As soon as Connor had heard the word tacos his face had lit up and he'd shovelled as much piccalilli as he could onto his fork before cramming it into his mouth. Hermione watched as his eyes began to water as he chewed and he reached hurriedly for the nearest glass of water. “Connor, you idiot, it's to accompany the rest of your dinner in small bites not to eat in massive great gulps all on it's own!”

Dawn rubbed Connor's back sympathetically as he coughed and wheezed the piccalilli down into his stomach and then kissed his sweating cheek. “Ok, baby?”

“Nothing like tacos.” Connor took another swig of water before wiping his hand over the back his mouth and glaring reproachfully at Hermione as she tried to keep a straight face. “And we really need to start working on your reaction time, Hermione.” He glared balefully at his plate. “That stuff is evil.”

Ron looked up from shoving a fork laden with turkey and piccalilli into his on mouth. “S'bloody great, is what it is.” He closed his eyes in ecstasy as he chewed. “Bit of an acquired taste, mind.”

“I've eaten demon entrails, I know from evil.” Connor reached for a serving platter laden with crisp roast potatoes and began scooping them onto his plate, ignoring the pained looks on his immediate neighbours' faces with the ease borne of long practice. “Trust me, when something feels like it's scraping the flesh from your throat on its way down, it's evil.” He paused and cocked his head as he dropped a hot potato onto his plate. “Does anyone else hear that?”

Spike tensed beside Buffy and caught Angel's eye with a frown. “Yeah, sounds like…” The hall abruptly fell silent as the doors crashed open and a wild eyed Auror burst into the room and sprinted down the centre of the room to Dumbledore. Spike rolled his eyes. “Trouble.”

Ron hastily shovelled another laden forkful of his Christmas dinner into his mouth and gestured to Connor. “Mam yo'b herb'd whup thy'd syn'n?” He chewed frantically and swallowed his mouthful at Connor's confused look. “I said, can you hear what they're saying?”

“Oh.” Connor tilted his head to the side and listened carefully for a moment to the low whispers from Dumbledore and the Auror before nodding his head. “Yep, there's been a sighting in the village of…No way!” His mouth dropped open in excitement and he jumped out of his seat. “We've got this one, sir.”

“What? No we don't!” Draco tried to twist out of Connor's hand as he found himself dragged to his feet. “I'm on holiday.”

“Connor, I don't think that's such a good idea, son.” Angel also got to his feet and reached out to catch Connor as he began to pull at Dawn and Hermione. “We can take care of it…”

“Nu-uh. You and Spike can't go out and Buffy and Cordy are all dressed up.” Connor bounced manically on his toes and stared pleadingly at his friends. “Guys, c'mon, please? Trust me, this is gonna be the best Christmas present EVER!”

Dawn tipped her head to the side suspiciously. “Nekkid Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp just dropped out of the sky into Hogsmeade?” She shook her head in emphatic denial when Connor stared at her baffled. “Then not a chance in hell, Connor. I'm staying right here and…” She shut up as Connor bent and whispered something in her ear and then her eyes lit up like a pinball machine. “No way?”

“Way.” Connor nodded solemnly and just managed to stop himself squealing with joy as Dawn abandoned her dinner and came to his side eagerly. “This Christmas just rocks.”

“Kids, please sit down.” Liz looked nervously at her daughter as Kit popped one last bite of Yorkshire pudding in her mouth with a regretful sigh and stood up to join her friends. “This is meant to be a day of peace and celebration, remember? Don't do this today, please.”

Connor started backing hurriedly towards the hall doors, Kit and Dawn clutched in either hand. “We'll be fine, no danger, I promise.” He tried a reassuring smile as Draco and Harry exchanged resigned looks and started to follow him. “Just a little festive fun.” He jerked his head at his friends. “Guys, c'mon, you're gonna love this!”

Buffy fought the urge to go and grab her sister and drag her back to the table as the Hall silently watched the Eight depart and then turned slowly to Spike. “Ok, what's the what?”

Spike laid a reassuring hand on her arm and nodded at Liz. “S'ok, luv. I wouldn't let the chits go if there was a real problem. They won't be in any danger.” He smiled as Buffy relaxed slightly under his touch and Liz turned instinctively for comfort to Professor Snape as the man hurried up behind her. “It's just like the kid said, a little festive fun.”

  
  


* * *

Connor led the airborne rescue mission to Hogsmeade on the customised broomstick that Fred, Gunn, Wesley and Lorne had clubbed together to buy him for his Christmas present and sliced at the cold December air with his new sword from Dawn as he air-surfed his way towards the village. Behind him were Ginny and Dawn on one broomstick and Draco on his own new broomstick from his family, with Ron and Hermione on another and Harry bringing up the rear with Kit clutching tightly at him as she kept her eyes closed and fought to keep her lunch in her stomach. “There!” Connor pointed down to where the Shrieking Shack could barely be seen in the foggy afternoon air. “I can see someone.” He tilted his legs forward and yelled with glee as he made a near vertical dive. “Come on!”

Draco glanced over his shoulder to make sure Ginny and Dawn were keeping up and then followed Connor into a steep dive, unable to stop the whoop of anticipation as his eyes blurred with the speed. Although Connor had refused to share what they could expect when they reached the village insisting he wanted it to remain a surprise, Draco was surprised to find that there was no uneasiness curling in his belly at whatever they were about to get into a fight with, just anticipation and a small smattering of excitement. He rolled his eyes as he heard Connor give another excited yell when he landed. He'd obviously been spending way too much time with his brother and Angel; they'd started to rub off in a big way.

Dawn hopped thankfully off the back of Ginny's broomstick and nodded to an unfamiliar Auror standing pressed up against the wall of the Shrieking Shack. “Hi, we're from the school, Professor Dumbledore sent us to help.”

The lean, brown haired man stared in dismay at the eight teenagers all dressed casually in jeans, matching purple jumpers and various jackets of leather, denim and fleece. “This is a joke, right?”

“Nope.” Connor peered around the side of the shack towards the village. “Just us. Where is it?” A loud scream and the sound of pounding feet was his answer and Harry stepped protectively in front of Kit just as two panic stricken Aurors burst around the corner of the Shack.

“It's…broken through…the defences…” A tall, whipcord thin woman bent over and rested her hands on her knees as she fought for breath. “Jenkins…and Brown apparated…away. We came…to warn you.”

“Warn us about what?” Completely exasperated, Draco shoved his cold hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and sidestepped the original Auror's hand as he tried to stop him looking around the side of the wooden building. “What the sodding hell is so important that I got dragged away from a surprisingly palatable meal and…FUCKING HELL!” Draco flung himself backwards as a sheet of flame ripped through the space his head had been moments before and plastered himself up against the wall of the shed to glare accusingly at Connor. “What the hell is that thing?”

“Probably Rudolf.” Connor nodded knowingly at his brother's horrified face. “Kinda explains why he's always at the front with a red nose, huh?” There was a small, thoughtful silence.

“Connor…” Hermione eyed her friend nervously and prayed to any deity she could think of that for once in her over-achieving life she would be incorrect in her next guess. “Do you mean Rudolf as in one of Santa's reindeer?” She swallowed as Connor nodded in delight and made herself ask the next obvious question. “Connor, have you brought us here to fight Father Christmas?”

“Yup!” Looking thoroughly pleased with himself, Connor bounced on his toes and rubbed his chilly hands together in anticipation. “Although not so much fight him. We really have to kill him.” The Destroyer bounced again. “Aren't you excited?”

Ron swallowed as another sheet of hot flame speared through the cold, December air. “Not really.” He took hold of Hermione in his left hand and Ginny in his right as he backed away from the ominous heavy thumps that announced the advance of a seriously annoyed mythical creature. “Do you think if we promised to ask the other reindeer to stop taking the piss out of him he'd go away?”

“Unlikely.” Connor took the hilt of his new sword in a firm grip and braced himself to meet the reindeer. “It sounds like he brought them all with him and they're just as angry as he is.”

Harry fumbled for his wand in the shoulder sheath Draco had given him and stepped in front of Kit as she brought out her axe from under her fleecy coat. “I can't believe we're going to fight Santa.”

“If it helps, he's a demon.” Dawn took up position on Connor's right hand side and readied her own sword. “Anya knew him way back in the day. He doesn't so much bring kids presents as come down the chimney and disembowel them and all their families. The part about drinking the whisky that gets left out for him is true though.”

“Well, blood and recently rendered flesh is probably a little salty after a while.” Draco shoved the three Aurors out of his way and moved to flank Connor's left side. “He probably needs something to clean his palate.”

“This is ridiculous!” The Auror that had met them tried to tug on Connor's arm to move him back as a skeletal hoof came into view. “You aren't seriously suggesting that…that…THING is Santa Claus. I insist you put those weapons down immediately and come with me to the school…” The man's voice trailed off as a massive antler followed the hoof and then a fiery, bony snout appeared. “Oh Merlin…”

“Ron, get them out of here!” Dawn glanced over her shoulder at the three Aurors frozen with their wands raised uselessly before them. “They're just going to get in our way.”

“I wish.” Gloomily resigned to slaughtering the childish ideal of Christmas held by children the world over, Ron obligingly pulled out his own wand. “Sorry about this. Tell Dumbledore to save us some pudding. Amandatio Dumbledore!” He watched as the three adults suddenly rocketed into the air with surprised screams and then cupped his hands around his mouth to bellow after them. “And I want some bloody mince pies as well!”

Kit nudged Harry out of her way and took her place at his side as Hermione and Ron stepped up to join them and Ginny ignored both her brother's and Draco's protests to stand with wand drawn at Draco's unguarded side. “Con, anything special we need to know? Any powers or specific ways we have to kill them?”

Connor spun into a tight kick that landed right between the head reindeer's eyes as its face finally came into view. “Don't know.” He threw himself to the side as a jet of flame shot from the reindeer's nose. “Let's try cutting their heads off!”

“Sweetie, that doesn't always work remember?” Dawn followed her mate swiftly as the huge head swung to focus on her. “I thought you knew what you were doing here?”

Connor tucked and rolled away from the dubious safety of the Shrieking Shack and out into full view of whatever was behind the furiously flaming reindeer. “Not as such. I thought we'd just wing it.”

“That's it.” Draco grabbed Ginny's hand and sprinted for Connor and Dawn's side. “When this is over I'm going to curse you like you've never been cursed before.” He skidded to a halt at Connor's side and barely registered the Ron and the others racing to for their lives to join them as he got a good look at what they were facing. “Fuck!”

Harry felt his jaw drop as he peered past Draco's shoulder. “Seconded.” He blinked nervously as he took in the sight of twelve skeletal reindeer pulling a huge sleigh made of what looked like human bones and finished in flayed skin, at the top of which a massive demon armed with a wickedly sharp looking scythe and dressed in a horrible parody of the traditional Father Christmas costume sat scowling at them and cracking a whip over his long dead team of animals.

Hermione swallowed nervously as she got a better look at the demon's costume. “That isn't dye that's colouring his jacket is it? And I don't think it's made out of wool.”

“Nope.” Connor sniffed the air as the demon steered his reindeer towards the group of teenagers. “It's blood. And the suit is made from skin. Fresh, very recently dead, skin.”

“I am never looking at Christmas in the same way again.” Ron forced back the bile that rose in his throat at the thought of how the demon had acquired his attire and instead took comfort from the fact that the vile creature wouldn't be leaving the village alive. “What's the plan of action?”

Connor ducked another jet of flame. “I already said that, cut the damn thing's head off!”

Dawn rolled her eyes as they all spread into a loose line to present a wider target. “You're a very simple man, Connor.”

“What about the other things?” Kit cautiously eyed the twelve skeletons and was momentarily sidetracked by wondering where the fire simmering in their bony nostrils was coming from. From what she could see there was nothing between their ribs and other bones but fresh air. “How do we kill them?”

“I think they're already dead, my sweet.” Draco glanced worriedly down at Ginny at his side and tried to ignore the voice inside him that was screaming at him to just get her the hell out of there and to safety. “And how to give a mortal wound to a collection of re-animated bones wasn't covered in any of my DADA lessons.”

“I think San…um, the, er, thing on the sleigh is probably powering them.” Hermione backed up a step as the sleigh drew nearer. “If we kill him then it will probably take care of the reindeer.”

“Probably?” Harry licked dry lips. “Is that the best we can do?”

“Almost certainly.” Hermione nodded and then completely ruined her confident façade by adding in an uncertain voice. “I think.”

“Look, Mum and the others will be worrying about us if we don't get back to school soon.” Ginny clutched her wand tightly and reached under her jacket for her trusty dagger. “Whatever we're going to do we'd better do it quickly.”

“Ok, Dawn and I will go for the demon and you guys distract the other things.” Connor rocked on the balls of his feet and then leapt into the air as another flame ball shot towards him. “Now!”

Dawn threw herself onto the ground and rolled under the flames as behind her the others scattered and began firing off charms and spells in a bid to confuse the demon. She got her feet under her and erupted off the floor in time to see Connor land just beside the sleigh and the jump without pausing onto the runners of the vehicle to pull himself up and just manage to block the first swing of the demon's scythe. Confident in the other's ability to draw the fire of the reindeer, Dawn veered sharply in her mad dash for the sleigh and ran for the opposite side to Connor as she came up swinging her own sword in a bid to take the demon's head. She grunted with the impact as the blade made contact with the handle of the scythe that the demon was using to swing at Connor's head and then grunted again as the demon jabbed back sharply and sent the blunt end squarely between her eyes. “Ow, watch it Satan Claus!” Dawn ducked another jab with the scythe handle and ignored the furiously growling demon to grimly start hauling herself onto the main platform of the sleigh as Connor stepped up his own bid to take their foe's head. “'Twas the night of Christmas and Santa's a louse…”

Connor blinked in confusion as he ducked another blow and heard his love's low voice float across to him, barely audible over the howls and snarls of his opponent. “Excuse me?”

“Went uninvited into every house…” Dawn ignored the slick feel of the flayed skin under her hand and took a deep breath before swinging herself onto the seat beside ‘Santa' and with a solid swing took the thing's head off to send it flying over the back of the sleigh and bouncing to the floor. “Till we came along and kicked his evil, red ass!”

Connor pouted as he vaulted up beside Dawn and grabbed the reins to the sleigh out of the headless demon's hands to pull back on them sharply. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Dawn pushed the dead body carelessly out of its seat and onto the ground before flopping down beside Connor and staring at the still rampaging reindeer as she replied absently. “It's a famous Christmas poem. ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house…Shouldn't those things be dead again now we've killed what-his-face?” She pointed to draw Connor's attention to their friends still dodging fireballs as they raced all over the frosty grass to avoid being roasted alive.

“Well that doesn't rhyme very well. I thought poems had to rhyme?” Connor looked blankly at Dawn as she stared at him and then rolled her eyes impatiently and waited for him to catch up. “Oh. Right. That last bit wasn't part of the poem was it?” Dawn shook her head. “Ok, gotcha.” He looked at the tethered team of reindeer and shrugged. “I suppose we could always cut their heads off as well?”

“Worth a try.” Dawn stood and bent her knees slightly into a crouch before jumping forward and landing squarely on a bony back. She yelled with surprise as the creature between her thighs tried to buck her off but managed to swing her sword awkwardly and cut through the thing's neck. Dawn yelled again as the bones beneath her suddenly collapsed and she went sprawling forwards into a nightmare of pounding hooves and treacherously sharp runners on the bottom of the sleigh. “Ok, that works.” She rolled hurriedly to safety directly under the sleigh and waited until it had passed over her before propping herself up on her elbows and staring thoughtfully after it. “But I wouldn't recommend it!”

Connor breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Dawn emerge from under the sleigh looking just a little rumpled and muddy and then turned his attention back to the team of reindeer now seriously out of control as they realised one of their number was gone. He took a firm grip on the raised lip of the sleigh with one hand as he drew back his sword arm and swung with all his might at the next nearest reindeer. Unfortunately at the same moment Harry tried to send a stunning charm at the reindeer to slow them down in their chase and the creatures swerved to avoid the blue energy sending Connor off balance and his sword chopping through the leather reins that held them together in one place. “Oh crap.” Connor managed to avoid overbalancing completely and fell to his knees to watch as the eleven remaining skeletons separated and took to the skies, hooves pounding against thin air as they climbed into the sky. “This could be a problem.”

“Broomsticks!” Ron tore his disbelieving eyes from the unnerving sight overhead and began to run back towards the Shrieking Shack. “We have to follow them!”

“You can see why Dumbledore made him Headboy.” Draco paused to pull a breathless Kit to her feet and then dragged her with him to pound after Ron. “That razor sharp intellect is downright scary at times.”

Kit giggled as she jumped on Harry's broomstick and wrapped her one arm around her boyfriend's waist making sure to keep the hand holding her axe free and clear. “Let's go!”

Ginny had already got her broom airborne and she swerved to fly straight at Dawn as the other girl ran towards them. Dawn stopped abruptly and then braced herself to catch Ginny's outstretched hand and swing up behind her as the smaller girl sent them hurtling up after their quarry. “Nice catch!”

Ginny grinned as she leaned forward over the broom handle and caught Draco's eye as he overtook her with a mocking laugh. “You haven't seen anything yet. Hold on!” Dawn yelped as Ginny reached back and pulled her forwards to lay over her back and cut out unnecessary wind resistance and then kicked her small foot in the air to give her an extra burst of speed to bring her level with Draco once more. Ginny turned her head as Draco looked around in surprise and yelled above the roar of the wind. “Race you?”

Draco couldn't stop the broad grin that stretched his face at the sight of Ginny, hair flying wildly in the slipstream and eyes narrowed with determination as she challenged him. “You're on.” His jaw sagged admiringly as she flashed a blinding smile and leant further forward on her broom to kick against the air once more and put two broom lengths between them. “Merlin, you're good!”

“And she's a hottie.” Connor drew level with Draco and tapped his shoulder to get his attention away from Ginny and onto the reason they were all trying to break any air speed records for broomstick travel. “We're the only ones flying solo at the moment, we have to try and get ahead of the others to head the things off and keep them contained. If we don't keep them together, we're in serious trouble!”

Draco nodded his understanding and the two boys split to aim for opposite sides of the loose formation the reindeers were still flying in. A faint shout from Ron sounded and Draco looked round to see Hermione hanging precariously from their broom to aim her wand and shout a charm at the back of a skeletal head. The spell erupted from the end of her wand and earthed with deadly accuracy at the join of skull and spine to explode and sent the head and body parting ways as the body fell apart and tumbled back to the ground. Hermione whooped in a manner very unlike her normal restrained self and pulled herself back into a safer position as Ron began to shout both congratulations and dire threats if she did anything like that again.

Ginny and Dawn were the next to take out some more of the enemy with a particularly daring manoeuvre that involved flying from underneath the reindeer and hitting their chosen targets with a double whammy of spells that had two of the creatures exploding in mid-air and their companions blowing fierce fireballs after the victorious girls in fruitless retaliation.

Harry and Kit took the old fashioned approach and managed to take out another three by teaming up with Connor as he swooped in stomach churning lunges around the maddened creatures to try and keep them together and Harry put all his skills as a renowned Quidditch player to use as he brought them in time and time again as Kit swung with her axe to cleave heads from necks.

Draco managed to blast the head off one more but then found himself being chased through the sky, as it's neighbour rounded on him and fired off a huge snort of flame that nearly engulfed the fleeing boy. Draco weaved his broomstick frantically through the air as he tried to stay ahead of the crackling balls of flame but couldn't manage to get enough of a distance between himself and his pursuer to reach back with his wand and take aim. A sudden shout alerted him to the presence of Ginny and Dawn as they came up fast on his left side and Ginny pulled off a stomach churning move that had them looping to stop dead in the sky just underneath the fire breathing beast and Dawn swung her sword wildly to take it's head as it shot overhead. Draco banked in the air as a glance over his shoulder told him the immediate danger was past and then waved a hand in thanks as Ginny smiled at him and turned her broom back towards the last three remaining demons as they fired off shot after flaming shot at her circling friends.

Ron shouted in anger as one reindeer managed to slip between his own broom and Harry's as they dodged a ball of flame and then waved to Connor to alert him to the fleeing demon. “Can you handle the last two?” Connor nodded and waved as he tried to swing at the nearest handy neck. “Ok, me and Harry'll take that one then. See you in a bit!” Ron gestured to Harry to follow him and they quickly disappeared out of sight after their prey.

Dawn tapped Ginny on the shoulder. “Duck!” Ginny obeyed without hesitation and felt Dawn lean over her as she pulled her wand from her back pocket and took aim at one of the two things still trying to cook them all alive. The wind whipped away the sound of Dawn yelling the charm itself but the impressive bang as she hit her intended target was loud and clear and Ginny straightened up again to follow Connor and Draco as they closed in on the last remaining demon in a pincer movement and began to herd it back to the ground.

Afterwards Ginny was never exactly sure what happened. One minute they were flying at a fairly brisk pace towards the ground with Draco to the left, Connor to the right and herself and Dawn bringing up the rear and then Draco was plummeting the last few feet to the floor as the demon suddenly reared it's head and sliced it's razor sharp antlers right across Draco's belly. Three shouts of horror echoed through the air as Draco hit the floor closely followed by his suddenly powerless broomstick and then Connor was swinging his sword as Dawn and Ginny both fired off spells and the last reindeer exploded in the sky.


	39. Chapter Thirty-Three B

Ginny didn't even wait for her broom to stop before she jumped off and ran towards Draco's still body and fell to her knees beside him. “Draco! Draco, are you hurt? Answer me!” She ran her hands in panic over his body and then jumped a mile as he groaned and opened dazed silver eyes. “Draco, are you ok?”

“Yeah…” Draco winced as he gently batted away her hands when she tried to stop him sitting up and looked ruefully down at the huge gash that had appeared along the width of his brand new Weasley jumper. “I think this has had it though.”

“You ok, Draco?” White faced, Connor ran over and looked anxiously over Draco from head to foot as the taller boy stood with a groan. “Where'd it get you?”

Draco smiled ruefully as Dawn joined them and sagged with relief, as she spotted no sign of the expected blood or entrails. “Nowhere but my pride happily.” He rubbed his butt with a wince. “Bloody hell that stung.” The grin fell from his face as Draco looked down and realised that Ginny still hadn't taken her eyes off his face and, more alarmingly, they were now filled with shocky tears. “Ginny, are you alright?” He bent down to peer into her white face as she continued to stare at him blankly. “Are you hurt?”

“Ginny?” Dawn stepped forward in concern and then staggered sideways with a gasp as the other girl's face crumpled and she launched herself with a sob into Draco's unprepared arms.

Draco staggered back under Ginny's weight and instinctively wrapped his arms around her to keep his balance. They ended up against a low wall, with Ginny's face pressed into his neck and her tears, and some drool, running down his skin. Draco blinked stupidly at Connor as he grinned and gave him the thumbs up before pulling Dawn in for an enthusiastic kiss and quick post-battle grope.

“I th…thought you were de…de…dead!” Draco's mouth fell further open as Ginny wailed pitifully in his ear and then drew back and punched him in the stomach, “Don't you ever do that to me again, you git!” She glared at him as he bent over, gaping like a landed fish and then flung her arms around his neck once again, “I thought you were deeeaad!”

Draco nearly toppled backwards over the wall with shock. “Ginny, what the…?” His voice cut off as her stranglehold on his neck increased as she began to sob out her relief once more. Connor rolled his eyes and clicked his fingers to get his brother's attention. Draco watched as the American put his arms around Dawn in an exaggerated gesture and then bent his head to kiss her. Draco's eyes widened as Connor pulled back from the kiss and mouthed, “Now you do it!” and he shook his head. Connor glared at him, making a fist with his hand and mimed punching Draco; still the blond boy shook his head.

Draco glanced down at the top of Ginny's red-head and then mouthed urgently to Connor, “She's not ready.” He patted the distraught girl awkwardly on her shoulder and muttered, “There, there, Ginny. Its all over now.”

Connor kept his eyes on Draco and reached for his sword as he mouthed menacingly. ‘Don't make me hurt you!'.

Draco held the sobbing girl as close as he dared against him and continued to awkwardly pat her shoulder, and when that failed to have any appreciable affect he started to whisper low nonsense in her ear as he hesitantly began to stroke her tangled hair. It took a while but gradually Ginny began to stop crying and eventually she had subsided into the odd hiccup against his chest although the stranglehold on his neck didn't ease up in the slightest. Realising that they were going nowhere fast Draco slowly eased to the floor and then when no protest came from Ginny leaned up against the low wall and cradled her across his lap. Dawn eased out of Connor's arms and took in the situation with a glance; she leered at Draco in a manner very reminiscent of Spike and then tugged on Connor's hand to lead him away to investigate the apparently deserted farm they had landed so dramatically in.

Draco watched them go and tightened his arms around Ginny as she tried to burrow closer against him. “Its alright, Ginny. Its all over now.” One hand cradled the base of her skull tenderly as the other stroked smooth circles across her back, “It's alright, love.”

Ginny gave another hiccup and raised her swollen face, “I'm sorry. I just thought…” She blinked at him as tears threatened again, “I'm so glad you're alright, Draco.”

Draco grinned, “Me too.” His hand slipped around from the back of her head and cupped her cheek, “Come on, Ginny, pull yourself together. Anyone would think you cared about me.”

Ginny's eyes widened and she blinked several times before suddenly becoming very aware of their position, “Sorry. You must think I'm a right idiot.” She tried to push away and scramble from his lap, but Draco was slowly recovering from his surprise and tightened his arm around her waist.

“Yes I do.” His long fingers stroked her salt-streaked face as she squirmed for her freedom and he tilted his head to the side as he whispered, “I've been offering you the world for months now and it takes me nearly being eviscerated for you to notice I exist.” He traced her slightly open mouth, “Whatever would you have done if I'd have died? Would you have mourned me?” Draco bent his head and rubbed his cheek along the top of her head, “Would you have cried more of those heartfelt tears for me?”

“I…no…I…” Ginny's eyes widened as his hand cupped her chin and tilted her face up to his, “Draco, I really don't think…”

“Good plan.” Draco bent his mouth to hers and brushed his lips against her skin gently, “You keep right on with the not thinking while I just do this.” His mouth pressed more firmly against her and he whispered, “I won't hurt you, Ginny. You can trust me. Can I kiss you?” His tongue flickered out to stroke her bottom lip, “Let me kiss you.”

Ginny felt her face flood with colour as her spine turned to jelly at the soft question, “Draco, I…”

Draco's lips moved to the side of her mouth, “Please, Ginny, just one kiss. Just one.”

Ginny melted. “Yes.” She gasped as his mouth moved to cover hers and then sank against him as his arms wrapped securely around her. His touch was gentle and she could feel him trembling as he forced himself to remain in check and not savage her mouth with his own. The first taste was exquisite; power, want and need all wrapped up in a cool, faintly minty, taste and then she was spiralling down into a world of new sensations as they fell headlong into the kiss.

It was Draco that finally pulled back to stare down with dazed eyes at Ginny's stunned face. “Well, you're certainly full of suprises.” He licked his lips. “I never thought it would be like that.”

Ginny licked her own mouth. “Me either.” She shifted uncomfortably as his fingers drifted absently over her raised scar. “Don't do that.”

“What?” Mesmerised by the feel of her skin under his touch Draco was lost in a plethora of cunning plans on how to get her into bed and naked as soon as possible without either frightening her off or tipping her brother to his nefarious intentions. “Don't do what?”

Ginny squirmed as his fingers traced the scar once more. “My scar. Please…”

“Hmm? What scar?” Draco completely missed Ginny's stunned expression as he worked out how to convince her to get on his broomstick with him and head for the Owlery. He was pretty sure that Connor wouldn't mind sharing his love nest. “Do you want to go for a ride?”

“What?” Ginny tried to catch up to the tangent the conversation had veered off on. “A ride?”

Malfoy leaned down and brushed his mouth across hers once again. “I have a sudden need to visit the Owlery.”

“But…but…my scar.” Ginny squeaked as she found herself somehow held high against Malfoy's chest as he loped off to where he'd left his broomstick.

“It can come with us.” Draco replied absently as he scowled at the tangled grass beneath their feet. Where the bloody hell had he left the damn thing? “Can you remember where we parked?”

“Draco!” Ginny smacked his shoulder, “Draco!” She gave a small smile when he looked down at her in surprise, “Could you let me go?”

Draco tightened his grip. “Why?” He frowned suspiciously, “Have you changed your mind?” His eyes widened and Ginny watched with detached amusement as he realised that her face was somewhat higher than usual. “Oh. Sorry.” He carefully lowered her to her feet but, being Draco, and therefore not one to let an opportunity pass him by, kept a firm grip on her waist. “Have you changed your mind?”

Ginny noted with wonder that his hands were actually shaking against her back as he asked the question. “Changed my mind about what exactly?”

Draco frowned. “About us.” He drew himself up to his full height and looked warily down at her. “About the relationship between us?”

“There's a relationship?” Ginny blinked in mock amazement and decided to have a little fun. “Did you know I can see straight up your nose from here?”

“Of course there's a relationship! Do you think that I go around kissing every… What?” It was Draco's turn to blink in amazement as her last comment registered. “What about my nose?”

Ginny made a big show of peering upwards. “I can see straight up it.” She patted his shoulder in admiration. “You have a very defined septum. Do you work out?”

“Work out?” Malfoy shook his head and tried to will the blood that had migrated south with the first touch of Ginny's lips to head back to his brain so he could figure out exactly when he'd lost control of the situation. “Septum?”

“Mmm.” Ginny's lips curled mischievously. “It's very nice.” She held her breath as she slipped her arms hesitantly around his waist, alert to any signs of a sneer and Draco laughing at her that she'd fallen for one of his jokes.

All the blood that had made it as far as Draco's kidneys dropped like a stone back to his groin as her arms folded around him. His arms tightened around her and he whispered with heartfelt sincerity at her upturned face. “You are so beautiful. Kiss me again.” His face creased in a frown as she pulled back and turned her mouth from his suddenly, “Ginny?”

“You don't have to say that.” Ginny stared down at the grass and blinked back tears. “You don't have to sweet-talk me.”

“I don't?” Not understanding what was happening, Draco tried a grin. “Excellent! Drop ‘em and lets get naked.” When that failed to get even a small smile, he cupped a hand to her face and turned her head back to look at him. “Why wouldn't I want to tell you how ravishing you are? I'm not completely without social graces you know.”

Ginny shook her head. “I know what people see when they look at me.” She bit her lip and raised her chin bravely. “I know you want me, for whatever reason, but don't think you have to pay me empty compliments to get me to do what you want.” She smiled. “I want you too. I'll do it anyway.”

“How reassuring.” Draco released his hold on her and stepped back. “And how marvellously insulting.” His face became a cold mask. “And what precisely do you think I want from you? A quick roll in the sheets once in while with no strings attached?”

Ginny frowned in confusion and her hands twisted nervously in the front of her robes. “What else could it be?” She touched a hand to her face. “I know the way I look…”

“Oh that's it, is it?” Draco's face flooded with furious colour. “That stupid little scar.” He folded his arms across his chest and glared. “You have a slight imperfection and you've decided that I'd be as hung up on it as you are.” He slashed an angry hand through the air. “You're quite right I suppose, what was I thinking?” His mouth twisted cruelly. “Well as long as no one finds out about us, I can't see it being a problem. Of course, when we have to be seen in public together you could always pop a bag over your head to hide it. Or perhaps some kind of a veil, do you think?”

He slapped a hand against Ginny's shoulder as she opened her mouth to answer him and shoved her back a pace. “I'm not finished! For some reason you seem to be the only person in the world that hasn't noticed just how much I adore you, you stupid little tart. I spend my days mooning after you and jumping through hoops to get your attention and now I finally have it you assume that you're some kind of pity fuck?” He shoved her again. “You may be thinking in terms of ‘any hole's a goal,' but I was actually thinking along the lines of having a relationship. With feelings and emotions.”

“A relationship?” Ginny's mouth hung open. “With me?”

“Yes, with you!” Draco was practically howling with anger and frustration. “I don't bloody care what anyone else sees when they look at you! All I see is the girl that's been driving me out of my mind for the last bloody tortuous few months and that I want to finally tell everyone belongs to me.” His chest heaved with emotion as he snarled. “You stupid great idiot.”

Ginny could do nothing but gape at the normally controlled Draco as his hair stood up on end and he yelled at her in the middle of the field. His face was flushed and his clothes torn and stained from the battle but she was positive she'd never seen anything so wonderful in all her life. A euphoric warmth uncurled in her stomach as she stared at him and then a wide smile creased her face. “You don't see it.” She remembered the conversation she had on the train with Dawn the first day they met and the other girl's insistence that when she found the right guy the scar wouldn't matter. “You really don't see it.”

Draco scowled suspiciously at her smile. “What?”

Ginny moved forward and raised her arms to link them around his neck. “You're absolutely right. I'm an idiot. Kiss me again?”

Feeling as though the world was having a private joke at his expense Draco repeated stupidly. “What?”

“Kiss.” Ginny raised herself up on her tiptoes and brushed her mouth along his neck. “Me.” Her tongue tasted his palpating pulse point. “Again.” White teeth nibbled at his skin. “Please?”

A muscle ticked in Draco's jaw as he looked down at Ginny's smiling face. “Not just for a quick shag?”

Ginny solemnly shook her head. “No. Emotions and everything.” Her mouth quirked. “I might, however, be persuaded to try out the veil thing under special circumstances.” She stroked the fingers of one hand through his hair and delighted in his shiver. “But I draw the line at a bag over my head.”

Ginny's breath caught at the smile that broke out on Draco's face at her words. He shrugged casually. “Oh well, you can't have everything.” Draco wrapped his arms round her waist and lifted her to his eye level. “How do you feel about a mask?” He pressed his mouth to hers and swallowed the giggle that spluttered from her lips. “Be mine?”

Ginny boosted herself higher on his shoulders and wrapped her legs wantonly around his waist. “Yes.” Her eyes shone as she looked into his smiling silver ones. “If you'll be mine?”

Draco gripped her slim thighs to anchor her more securely and lifted an eyebrow. “I've been yours for months. All you had to do was open your eyes and notice.”

“Consider yourself noticed.” Ginny smiled. “Now, about that kiss…”

Connor watched unseen from some yards away. He turned as Dawn stomped up behind him and grinned at her scowling face. “They finally got it together.”

Dawn glanced at the couple snogging the face off each other and smiled. “Great.” She looked piercingly at the ground around her. “Do you know where we left the broomsticks? I can't remember where we parked.”

Connor's grin widened. “Yeah? What a shame.” He slipped an arm round Dawn's waist and bent her backwards until she had to grip his shoulders to keep her balance. “Remember when it was all new and exciting? The thrill of the first kiss?”

Dawn raised an eyebrow. “The blood, the guts, the screaming…” She snorted. “You sure knew how to show a girl a good time.”

Connor waggled his eyebrows. “I still do.” One hand delved under her top and he leered down at her. “And now we've got past all that getting to know each other crap and I can show you a better one.” With a quick tug he had her up and then over his shoulder. “Screw the broomsticks. Lets go do the stuff that Malfoy can't even dream of doing yet.”

Dawn eyed his butt as it moved inches from her nose. “Feeling a little jazzed after the fight are we?”

Connor smirked as he noticed a likely looking barn. “You have no idea. You'd better clear your schedule, this could take a while.”

Dawn nipped playfully at one rounded cheek. “That'll be a first.” She yelped as Connor smacked her backside in retaliation. “Kidding!” She mentally shrugged and gave up on locating their rides home for a while as she resigned herself to submitting to whatever Connor had up his sleeve. Her mouth widened in a grin. God, life was hard at times. Dawn pinched Connor's other butt cheek. “Can't you go any faster?” She giggled as he broke into a fast trot and squeezed his ass in both hands. “Giddy-yup, horsie! Giddy-yup!”

  
  
  
  
  


* * *

The rest of the day passed away fairly uneventfully once the Eight returned in triumph to Hogwarts. It had taken Ron and the others almost an hour to track down and catch the last demon and they had ended up meeting their friends back at the school gates when Connor and Dawn had finally managed to drag Ginny and Draco apart after they had spent a very pleasurable half an hour celebrating Christmas in a chilly barn in their own unique fashion. By unspoken agreement, Draco and Ginny made sure they stayed away from each other for the rest of the afternoon, both feeling that they wanted time to come to terms with the change in their relationship before they allowed other people to intrude and make their own judgements. Draco was convinced that they had gotten away and he was free to indulge in his favourite past time of Ginny-watching as she sat talking quietly with her parents by the fire but he caught Angel sniffing the air once or twice from the corner of his eye and then turning to whisper in Cordelia's ear as she cuddled against him on a window seat. Cordy's eyes widened as she listened and then she turned her head and stared between Draco and Ginny with a delighted smile on her face as she blew Draco a kiss of congratulation. Connor nudged his brother's knee from where he sat back against the armchair Draco was resting in and grinned as he continued to stroke his fingers gently through Dawn's shining hair as she lay with her head pillowed on his thigh. Draco's eyes darted to Ginny and he swallowed when he found her own eyes trained on his face. They held each other's gaze for long seconds before Ginny's attention was pulled back to her Arthur as her father drew her into conversation once more.

Kit, Harry and Professor Snape had found to their mutual horror that Liz was bound and determined to get some kind of communication flowing between the four of them and were standing in an uncomfortable group by the tree as Liz forced them to make awkward conversation with each other. Harry had tried to edge away more than once but Kit had kept a death grip on his hand and flash of temper in her eyes had warned him most effectively that if he even thought about deserting her then he could kiss goodbye to any chance of smoochies in his near future. His one consolation was that Snape looked at least as miserable as Harry was feeling and that the Potions Master was also deeply annoyed that Liz had no hesitation in apparently using the same blackmail on him that her daughter was employing with Harry judging by the pointed looks she kept flashing the glowering wizard.

Ron and Hermione turned from where they were indulging in some seasonal cheer of their own in a suitably shadowy corner at the sound of a gentle cough and Ron frowned in puzzlement as he saw Willow and Buffy holding a tray full of unlit candles between them as Spike and Giles followed them slowly down the stairs from the dormitories. Aware that something was going on, but not entirely clear what, everyone unfamiliar with the American visitors watched as the Slayer and Wicca placed their light burden gently down on the small coffee table by the fire and gestured for people to gather around.

“We wanted to wait until the kids were in bed before we did this.” Buffy looked soberly around her at the people gathered there and then gave a bittersweet smile. “I know we've kind of all been thrown together by some really sucky circumstances here but there's kind of a tradition that we've kept up over the years in Sunnydale, and then LA when we expanded our operation, and it wouldn't feel like Christmas if we didn't do it.” She smiled as she caught Cordelia and Angel's eyes and reached back to grip Spike's hand as she looked at Liz. “I know this has been majorly weird for you and that you think we've dragged Kit into something with no real thought for the consequences but it's important you know we never forget the sacrifices made for our fight.” Buffy nodded at Willow and her friend smiled shakily as she reached for a box of matches lying on the tray.

Willow struck the match and waited until the initial flare had died away before touching the flame to the wick of the first candle. “In remembrance of those that have gone before us. For Tara.” Tears spilled from her eyes as she shook the match out and then lit another and touched it to the next candle. “And as Xander can't leave Anya at the moment, for Jesse.”

Dawn took the matches from Willow's cold hand and fumbled one out. “For Mom.” She blinked back her own tears as her mother's candle flared into life and passed the box to Connor.

He frowned uneasily at the tray for a moment before raising his eyes uncertainly to Cordelia's face and raising his eyebrows in query. Cordelia smiled in understanding and nodded as Connor struck a match. “For Darla.”

Kit's hands trembled as she took the box of matches but her voice was steady as she lit her own candle. “For Carlos.”

Harry jumped slightly as he felt the cardboard press into his hand but managed to nod and bend to the tray. “For my parents.”

Cordelia sniffled as she took her turn and gave Angel a watery smile as she remembered when it had all really began for them. “For Doyle.”

“For those we couldn't save.” Angel's voice was soft as he lit his own candle and then he gathered Cordelia in a close embrace as she turned to him for comfort.

Hermione's lips trembled as she remembered a thin-faced man with wild black eyes. “For Sirius.”

“For Cedric.” Ron tried to smile at Harry as he lit his candle but found his face just wouldn't obey him.

Giles avoided all eyes as he took his own match out. “For Jenny.” He held the matchbox tightly in his hand before forcing himself to pass it along to Wesley.

“For Lilah.” Angel took his stricken eyes from Giles and nodded in understanding at Wesley's slightly shamed whisper.

“For Alanna.” Gunn's face worked with emotion as he spoke his sister's name but he refused to break down.

Fred pressed close to his side as she took a match. “For the slaves.”

Draco tried to step back as Fred passed the box to him, but one understanding look from Angel had him reaching for the box and striking a match as a small, dead face from the night of the Hogwarts battle came back to him. “For Milly.”

  
  


Ginny brushed his hand with her fingers as she took the box and smiled tremulously up into stormy silver eyes before lighting her own candle. “For Lee.”

Molly's eyes shimmered with tears as she thought of Lee Jordan, dying so young at Voldemort's hand in Sunnydale, but she managed to whisper her own remembrance as the candle under her hand flared to life. “For the parents of Roberto, Luca and Sara.”

Arthur squeezed his wife's hand as she passed the matches to him and for once managed not to go into raptures over such a muggle object. “For the Aurors.”

Snape nodded shortly as he accepted the matches from Arthur and was surprised to find himself unexpectedly moved by the simple ceremony. “For Quirrel.” He frowned in surprise as Spike took the box out of his hand when he tried to pass it to Liz and the vampire shook out a match into his palm.

“For the Slayers.” Spike kept his voice low as he lit a candle but the shame and regret for past actions were plain on his face for all to see as the wick caught. “For those that came before and those that will come after.”

Buffy smiled with loving forgiveness into his eyes as she took the matches and then turned to face Liz once more. “The last candle we light isn't in guilt or grief.” She pulled the match head along the side of the box and then held it out to Liz with an uncertain smile. “It's always for hope.”

Liz found her vision was blurred as she looked around her at the grave circle of faces and she reached blindly for the flaming match to touch it to the last candle. “For hope.”

  
  
  


* * *

Draco sat in one of the deep armchairs in the common room and enjoyed the warmth of the firelight as he held Ginny on his lap and securely against his chest. His eyes were closed, his cheek pressed against the top of her head whilst his hand drifted gently through her long hair as she slept peacefully in his arms. It was nearly one o'clock in the morning and almost everyone had gone to bed exhausted by the Christmas revelries. The Eight had spent an entertaining evening in the girl's dormitories watching a couple of Draco's DVD's on Dawn's TV through a portal to Sunnydale and then one by one the group of friends had drifted apart as they sought out private corners for some serious smoochie time. Dawn and Connor had commandeered the boys' dormitory first and then Ron and Hermione had slipped quietly away to the Owlery to make use of Connor's emergency love nest. Draco and Ginny had stayed with Kit and Harry for another half an hour before heading down to the common room as they heard the last goodnight called between the adults.

Draco had pulled an armchair close to the fire and then sat down to pull Ginny onto his lap with a devilish smile and eager hands. They had kissed and whispered nonsensical phrases to each other as the fire crackled and then their caresses had turned less urgent and more languid as they got over their initial urgency and instead just enjoyed being close to each other.

Eventually they had been content to sit and hold each other in comfortable silence as they watched the dancing flames and then Ginny had drifted off to sleep against Draco's chest. He had watched her peaceful face for a long time, tracing the line of her jaw and mouth with his fingers until the heat from the fire began to make him drowsy and he rested his head against hers as his eyes closed with a contented sigh. When Ron and Hermione slipped back into the common room a little while later they stopped short as they saw the pair by the fire and Hermione's mouth dropped open with sheer astonishment at the sight of Ginny Weasley curled trustingly in Draco's arms.

Beside her Ron tensed and then Hermione was blinking worriedly as Ron's warm hand clapped firmly over her mouth and he shook his head silently. Hermione squirmed as Ron stared at the pair with narrowed eyes for a moment and then bent his head until his mouth touched her ear. “Go up to bed, I'll be there in a minute.” He clenched his hand lightly on her face as her mouth opened in protest and whispered firmly. “Go to bed, Hermione. I'll be there soon.” Ron gave her a gentle shove to get her started and watched until Hermione reluctantly started up the stairs to the dormitory. He turned his head to stare at his sister and Malfoy for a long moment and then walked soundlessly across the room to drop into the opposite armchair with a loud squeak.

Draco's eyes flew open at the protesting screech of the springs and he clutched Ginny to him tightly with one arm as he fumbled for his wand that had slipped down the side of the chair with his other hand. Ron held up a hand and said quietly. “It's ok, it's just me.”

Draco blinked furiously to clear his sleep blurred vision and stared in appalled horror at Ginny's most volatile brother. “Weasley, this isn't what you think…”

Ron cocked his head to one side and interrupted quietly. “You'd better hope it is what I think, Draco, otherwise you and I will have a major problem.” He stifled a grin at the look of wary confusion on the other boy's face and continued. “I have one question and one question only for you. Depending on your answer, you may still get to wake up in one piece tomorrow morning.” He leaned his head back until his face was hidden in shadows and said quietly. “Do you love my sister?” If nothing else the look on Draco's face as he hugged Ginny's body to him and the gentle hand that cupped her head to hold it over his heart was enough to convince Ron that Ginny had thoroughly brought Draco under her spell.

“Why?” Draco shook his head as he rubbed his fingers into Ginny's soft hair and muttered bitterly. “It won't make a difference will it? You don't think she's for me. You won't rest until you see her happily shacked up with Potter and popping out a tribe of redheaded, green eyed brats.”

Ron sniggered before he could stop himself. “Are you mad? Ginny andHarry? She'd drive him to drink in a week.” Ron rubbed his hands together merrily. “If I'm going to see anyone driven to drink around here it's going to be you, mate. Besides, I think Kit might have a few words to say about Harry dumping her for Ginny, don't you?”

Draco looked warily at Ron. “You can't tell me you're happy about finding us like this, because I won't believe you. You just aren't that good a liar.”

“Bloody hell, no!” Ron shook his head and his mouth twisted in distaste. “You really think I want you of all people anywhere near Ginny? We might be fighting on the same side these days, Ferret, but that doesn't mean that I'm about to forget about all the stuff we've done to each other over the years to get here.” He sighed as he braced an arm on the side of his chair to prop his chin up. “As much as we all like to pretend that we're just a big happy family these days, we both know that any friendship between us is definitely a work in progress.”

Draco soothed Ginny as she shifted on his lap and once he was sure she still slept he looked back at Ron with a nod. “Agreed. I…respect you but I don't know if I like you.” He groped for the right words in his mind and made a concentrated effort to be as honest as he could. “I don't know if I ever truly can.”

Ron nodded. “Likewise.” He looked at his sleeping sister for a few seconds and then up at the boy that held her. “But I think we're going to have to make more of an effort to find out which brings us back to my first question. Do you love her?”

Draco felt his heart kick into overdrive with fear as Ron waited for his answer and swallowed to ease his dry throat. “I don't know. This only happened this afternoon when we fought those demons. Before this I…” He shook his head helplessly. “I feel for her more than I've ever felt for anyone before in my life and I'm not sure why. We're poles apart in temperament and personality and have nothing real in common but I just can't seem to get her out of my head.”

“Tell me about it.” Despite himself Ron felt a pang of sympathy at the confusion and helplessness in Draco's confession. “I still can't believe that I'm with the brainiest girl ever to set foot in Hogwarts. It's bloody terrifying at times.”

Draco rubbed his knuckles absently over Ginny's soft hair. “Yes it is.” Both boys stared into the fire uncomfortably and avoided each other's eyes at the exchange of confidences and then Draco cleared his throat. “I don't know if this helps, but the reason I'm here is because of her.” He refused to look up as Ron jerked in his chair but continued to speak in a low voice. “The reason I was in the Hall on Halloween and not in my house was because I was trying to protect her. Almost everything I've done since then has been because of her, the prophecy and Angel's claiming hasn't really entered into it. I just wanted a chance with your sister.”

Ron shut his gaping mouth with a sharp click and tried not to look as shocked as he felt. “But you and Connor are so close.”

“Now.” Draco allowed himself a small smile and kept his gaze resolutely trained on the fire. “Not really then. Regardless of whatever else I feel for Ginny, I also owe her for Angel and the others. If I hadn't been so focused on trying to get close to her I doubt I would have allowed myself to become as close to Connor as I have done.”

“Blimey.” Completely clueless as to what to say, Ron grunted with sudden laughter and flopped back in his chair. “Draco Malfoy tamed by a Weasley, who'd have thought it?” He caught the flinch that passed over Draco's face at the mention of his old name and shrugged in apology. “Sorry, it's just hard thinking of you any other way, you know?”

“I know.” Draco took a deep breath and made himself look up. “But that isn't my name now and I don't think that's who I am anymore. I can't promise manly chats over the odd pint and smoking pipes under the stars as we bond over our mutual affection for Ginny, but I give you my word I will protect her with my life and I will make a conscious effort not to point out what a twat you are at any given opportunity. And there's quite a few of those so that's not a promise to be taken lightly.”

Ron snorted and then shook his head in appalled astonishment. “I can't believe that I'm about to say this, but if Ginny wants you then I won't cause you any problems. I'm not happy about it but I think she's earned the right to choose her boyfriends for herself.” He jabbed a threatening finger at Draco. “But if you hurt her…”

“I know; death, pain, death.” Surprised at the feeling of relief at Ron's words, Draco flashed a grin. “I'll remember.”

Ron nodded and then when he could think of nothing more to say got to his feet and headed for the stairs. He paused with his foot on the bottom step and looked back in guilty curiosity. “It doesn't bother you, how she looks, I mean?”

Draco glanced down at the scar marring Ginny's smooth face. “No.” He laid his palm over it lovingly and then looked up with shamed eyes at Ron. “It's the thing I'm most thankful for about her. If she hadn't been hurt all those months ago then she would never have let me near her. She'd still be pursued by half the red-blooded males in this school and she would never have seen me watching from the sidelines. If all the men around here are too stupid to see beyond a little piece of ruined skin that's their problem, I know what's underneath.”

Ron stared silently at Draco's whispered words and then gave him a wide smile. “Good night, Draco.”

Draco watched him climb the stairs and then pulled Ginny tighter against him as he dropped a kiss on her brow. “I see what's underneath and she's all mine.”

  
  



	40. Chapter Thirty-Four

“And then the little fiend bit down and now they're all chapped. Look!” Anya's outraged comment was accompanied by a jerk of her neckline and one of her, admittedly sore, nipples popping into view. Spike and Angel reared back as one and ignored the muffled giggles from their respective other halves bent cooing over the tiny offender. “And that head nurse person says it's very important that I breast feed him to help build up his strength as he was so early and the cream she gave me isn't helping at all!”

It was the day after Christmas Day, another holiday the British called Boxing Day, and Willow, Buffy, Cordelia, Giles, Angel and Spike had all gone to visit with Anya and Xander whilst Fred enjoyed a long over due lie in, Gunn and Wes went for a run around the Hogwarts grounds and the Eight were still scarfing down a truly monumental breakfast. Anya had been delighted to see all her friends and had lost no time in launching into a blow-by-blow account of how she had found motherhood so far. Spike and Angel were the ones that hadn't moved fast enough when Anya had launched into her tale of woe and now were sitting at the foot of her bed listening to the increasingly bitter rant with glazed expressions and the occasional defensive twitch.

“Have you decided on a name for him yet, Anya?” Angel fixed his eyes determinedly on the ceiling and wished that the dark side hadn't decided to take the holidays off along with the good guys. Aside from the Santa demon there hadn't been so much of a sniff of anything evil or ritualistic over the past week and he was beginning to think that the bad guys had done it on purpose just to see him squirm like this. The bastards.

Anya peered quizzically up at the ceiling, shrugged and gleefully ignored the two vampires now actually turning a light shade of green in their discomfort and continued with her annoyed diatribe. She had a twenty riding on the fact that she could get them running for the door in under five minutes and she was damned if she was going to lose a bet to Giles over this. And the side bet she had going with Willow that she could drive at least one of their men folk retching into the bathroom before she had finished telling everyone about the dubious joys of birth and motherhood would keep her in frothy panties and negligees for months to come if she pulled it off. “No, no name yet. Spike, you've seen my breasts pre-spawn, do they look different to you?” That did it. Spike tumbled off the bed in a shocked blur of cursing, leather and denim as Anya took one full breast in her hand and held it up for his inspection and then beat a hasty retreat to the other side of the room where Xander, Willow and Giles were in a quiet conversation. Angel lasted an impressive three extra seconds before Anya turned to him, still clutching her boob, and then he turned tail and ran like the wimpire he was.

Anya narrowed her eyes and delivered the smackdown mercilessly. “Come back! I haven't yet covered the post-birth bleeding and I wanted to ask if there was some vampire knowledge that could stop the very uncomfortable clotting.” She smirked as the Infirmary door banged behind the two vampires as they ran for it and then checked the clock hanging over said door. “I make that just under four minutes. Cough it up, British guy.”

“You cheated.” Giles abandoned Xander and Willow, lost in helpless laughter, and stomped across to Anya as she tucked herself away. “We didn't agree on the use of visual aids.”

“Suck it up, Stuffy.” Anya patted her secret weapons with a grin and then yelped as the overfull breasts twinged uncomfortably. “You never agreed, I merely chose to use everything in my arsenal to rout the enemy.” She held out an imperious hand for her winnings. “Just be thankful I didn't have to resort to flashing my ass. The bunches of grapes I have hanging from my butt still haven't gone down and I'm seriously thinking of having someone do a cauterising spell just so I can actually sit down without the risk of bursting.” Her eyes lit up as Xander gave a choked gasp, clapped a hand to his mouth and ran for the bathroom. “Yes! Willow, get over here.”

“What?” Willow stared after her best friend in disgust as he ran choking out of sight and threw up her hands. “Well for Pete's sake, you impregnated her, you weasel!” She stalked to Anya's side as she thrust a hand into her pocket for her wallet. “I knew I should have made Xander exempt from this.”

Buffy and Cordelia grinned at each other from their position at the baby's cot as Willow and Giles reluctantly handed over their money to the triumphant demon and then returned their attention to the sleeping occupant. “He's cute.” Cordy reached out a slim finger and touched the back of the baby's hand. “Even with that bubble thing on his head.”

Buffy tilted her head to one side and studied the small face. “I wonder when they can take it off.” She started to stroke the baby's other hand. “I can't wait to smoosh his little face.”

“In a non-Slayer sense, I'm guessing.” Cordelia flashed a smile at Buffy's snort and then bit her lip in unaccustomed hesitation before opening her mouth again. “We're never gonna get to have this are we?”

“Oh, sure, I give Anya a month, two tops, and then she'll be calling in every favour she has to unload the little booger on anyone who isn't fast enough on their feet. Mother Earth, she ain't.” Buffy watched the little pink hand shiver under her touch and said a silent prayer that she'd managed to head Cordelia off at the pass. No such luck.

“No, I mean we're never gonna get to have this just for us.” Cordelia nodded around the Infirmary and then back down at the baby they were studying. “We're always gonna be looking in from the outside. Kit totally nailed it that day in court.”

“We've got kids.” Buffy's voice was barely above a whisper and she hoped Cordelia couldn't see the tremble of longing in her hand as she took a tiny foot in her palm. “We're doing ok.”

“We've got other people's kids, Buffy.” Cordelia snorted in a manner very reminiscent of her sixteen year old self. “Although the factor of someone else doing the pushing, chapping and stretch-marking is a pretty big plus. Speaking as a parent of two teenage boys, my ass is looking great.”

Buffy shot a surreptitious look at the object in question and conceded the point. It was a pretty fine ass. In a non-gay appreciation way, obviously. “What more do you want?”

This time there was no mistaking the Queen C sneer. “Everything. It's no less than I deserve.” Cordelia the Seer, Champion of Mankind, made a brief reappearance and nodded companionably to Buffy. “No less than we deserve.”

“I guess.” Buffy shot a guilty look towards her friends at the bed, now glaring at Anya as she crowed her victory to the high ceiling. “I wonder sometimes if I could have made different choices along the way. If there was some point where I could have made it work with Riley; well, when he wasn't insane and trying to nail my sister anyway. I could maybe have had this with him.”

“Yeah.” Cordelia's soft sigh ruffled her bangs. “Groo would have made a great dad.” She stayed silent for another few moments and then slanted a guilty look at Buffy. “Do you regret you and Spike?”

The automatic denial sprang to Buffy's lips and then she paused. “Sometimes. I mean, not when he's cleaving the head from this week's Big Bad or yelling mean stuff at a nest of vampires, but when we go to sleep and his body starts to cool then maybe…it'd be nice to hear it beat once in a while, y'know? His heart.”

“Yeah, I know.” Cordy tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and kept her eyes determinedly on the sleeping baby. “That moment when it really hits that you're sleeping with a corpse.” She sighed. “I love Angel with all my heart but I can't help sometimes feeling that I…”

Buffy folded her hand around the tiny foot she held and uttered the unforgivable word. “Settled?” She nodded as Cordy tensed and then relaxed at her side with a gusty sigh. “I know. I love Spike as well but if he wasn't in my life, and so perfect for the Slaying part of it, then there's a small part of me that thinks I might not be here now.” The bittersweet smile on her lips twisted her face. “Literally.”

“Options would have been nice.” Cordelia nodded gravely. “I don't know if I'd have chosen differently but…just having the choice would have been good.” She blinked back the sudden mistiness in her eyes. “I love him so much but I could have had so much more.”

“You could have walked away.” Buffy swallowed the lump in her own throat as she found herself remembering all the times she and Angel had done that to each other. “You could have left him anytime.”

“Yeah.” Cordy stroked the baby's arm. “Could have done, but didn't; that was your deal.”

Buffy tensed for a moment at the criticism and then nodded. “Yeah. And he never fought for me the way he fought for you. He sure found it pretty easy to overlook all the problems in his way when it came to loving you.”

“I'm sorry.” Cordelia caught the unwilling bitterness in Buffy's voice and risked a quick glance at her former adversary. “If I'd thought, even for a minute, that there was a chance you guys could have got back what you had….”

“You'd have higher being'd my Slayer butt all the way across state.” Buffy met Cordy's eyes and grinned. “Possibly into another dimension.”

“Hey, I may have settled but I'm damn sure no one's taking away from me what I settled for!” Cordelia bit her lip again and flushed with shame as she realised how her words had sounded. “I didn't mean it that way.”

“I know.” Buffy nudged her elbow into Cordy's ribs and flashed an understanding smile. “If you can't say stuff like that to me, then who can you say it to? I get it.”

“Yeah, you do.” Cordelia cocked her head and grinned. “Who'd a thunk we'd be on the same page after all these years?”

Buffy snorted. “Not me, that's for damn sure.” She raised her head and turned to look Cordelia in the eye. “But amazingly, I'm glad that it is you that's here with me.”

“Me too.” Cordelia reached out and took Buffy's hand. “I'm happy with Angel, really happy, but it's nice to know there's someone out there knowing the whole champion of light thing ain't all it's cracked up to be.”

Buffy grinned. “Preaching to the choir, baby.” She took one last look at the baby and then resolutely turned her back. “And if I'm never gonna have my own kids, and a guy with at least a pulse, then I'm glad it's Spike I'm with. I think he's worth it.”

Cordelia looked doubtful and then turned as the Infirmary door opened and Angel poked his cautious head inside. She felt the usual thump in her chest as he caught her eye and grinned at her and squeezed Buffy's fingers before moving off towards her lover. “Mine maybe; yours still has the whole hair fiasco counting against him.” She turned as she caught Buffy's outraged gasp behind her and smiled to take the sting out of her words. “Gotta love a fixer-upper.”

“Hey, at least mine cracks a smile occasionally.” Buffy stuck her nose in the air and her tongue out at Cordy as she swept past towards Anya's bed.

“Has she stopped?” Angel anxiously reached for Cordelia's hand as she joined him and tugged him into the room. “She's stopped right? And put her breasts away?”

“Yeah, she's stopped.” Cordelia stepped into his body and wound her arms tightly around his waist; suddenly ashamed of her conversation with Buffy at the smile he gave her. “I love you, Angel.”

Angel frowned as Cordelia burrowed closer to him and wrapped his arms around her. “I know. I love you too, Cordy. Are you ok? Is there something wrong?”

Cordelia's guilt intensified at the worry and concern in his voice and she shook her head miserably. How could she think for one minute she'd settled for this man? “No, nothing's wrong.” She made herself look up into his soft eyes and smiled lovingly. “Got blindsided by a vicious hormone assault but I'm over it.”

Angel glanced over at the crib where the baby was starting to stir and then looked down in understanding. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be.” Cordy raised herself up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. “I'm not. I've got you and my boys and I don't have to worry about stretch marks and things heading south for a lotta years yet.” She moved her arms from his waist and slipped them around his neck. “What we have is worth sacrifice, Angel. I'd pay any price to keep you with me.”

“I know.” Angel buried his head in the curve of her shoulder and lifted her off her feet. “I'm only sorry the price is so high.”

“Ssh.” Cordelia tightened her arms and kissed the side of his neck. “Just promise me you'll remember something?” She waited until she felt him nod against her and then lowered her voice to a husky whisper. “If my last words to you aren't that I love you and that I have no regrets it's just because I didn't have time to say it, ok?”

Angel pressed his face against her skin and found he was temporarily silenced at the low words, lost at the uncharacteristic romantic display by his beloved Cordelia. He opened his mouth and gently nipped at the flesh covering her pulse point as she shivered against him. “Me too, Cordy, me too.”

  
  
  
  
  


* * *

Later that day the Eight stood in the Great Hall and watched their adversaries warily as they formed a tense line and their muscles twitched in anticipation of the fight to come. “Don't hold back.” Connor's voice was low with purpose as he balanced himself on the balls of his feet and raised his weapon. “We don't have time to get fancy, just go for the hurt.”

Dawn nodded in agreement. “They're the most dangerous thing we've ever faced but we can take them, just remember to trust each other and we'll be fine.”

“What if we can't?” Hermione's voice shook with nerves as she adjusted her grip on her weapon. “I don't know if we're ready for this.”

“We have to be.” Draco glanced down at Ginny's set face on his left and rolled his tense shoulders in an attempt to loosen them. “We don't have a choice.”

Harry looked around Ron at Draco and then turned soberly back to his best friend. “Seriously, him and Ginny?” He shot Draco another incredulous look. “And you're ok with this?”

Ron grunted. “No, but I don't seem to have any choice.” He glared at his serene looking sister and then at her chosen love. “I'll just have to hope that she comes to her senses at some point and dumps his ferrety little arse.”

“I prefer pert and muscular.” Draco grinned tauntingly at his housemates. “Although I wouldn't knock back succulent.”

“Ugh.” Harry shuddered as Ginny giggled and then nodded in agreement with her new boyfriend's smug comment. “I think I feel sick.” He nudged Ron in commiseration. “And it's your sister that he's going to have his hands all over!”

Ron nearly gave himself whiplash as he tried to glower at Draco, Ginny and Harry at the same time. “Shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut up!” In the cold light of day he was bitterly regretting his easy acceptance of Ginny's choice in men and was fervently wishing he'd quietly killed Draco and disposed of the body during the night. He was fairly sure there wasn't a court in the land that would have convicted him if they'd had even a passing acquaintance with Draco Angel.

“Luscious, well-developed, mesmerising…” Draco's grin widened as Ron and Harry glared at him. “What? I thought we were discussing my superbly honed arse?”

“Toned.” Kit's dreamy voice came from the end of the line. “Well-rounded.” 

“Kit!” Harry swung round and stared accusingly at his girlfriend. “Stop it!”

“Er, guys?” Dawn tried to catch her friends' attention. “Hate to break this up but there's the small matter of…”

“You've been looking at Malfoy's arse!” Harry ignored the mutter from three members of his house at the unintentional use of Draco's old name and put his hands on his hips to try the looming thing that Connor usually used in these circumstances. Unfortunately it seemed to work for him just as well as it usually did for Connor. Kit bit her lip and choked back an unrepentant giggle.

“Well you won't let me check out yours.” She ignored Harry's sudden flush and winked over his shoulder at Draco, who waited until Harry spun round to look angrily at him and then winked obligingly back. Kit smirked. “A gal's gotta get her kicks where she can, pal.”

Dawn sighed in irritation. “Guys? Is anyone listening here?”

Draco ignored Dawn and tapped Harry on the shoulder to draw his attention back from smouldering at Kit. “I am a marvellous specimen, Potter. At least she's not mooning around after Longbottom's arse.” A collective shudder went through all eight teenagers and Draco raised his hands apologetically. “Sorry, forget I said that.”

“When you've quite finished!” Rupert Giles stalked up and gave his best Watcher scowl and then huffed indignantly when he was summarily ignored.

“Parkinson's!” Ginny smirked as a little shiver of malicious pleasure went through her at the memory of Pansy running shrieking out of the Great Hall the night of the ball. “Now there's an arse to keep you up at night.”

“And not in a good way.” Connor, imminent battles and danger forgotten, grimaced. “I didn't know that a butt could get that spotty.”

“It's a miracle she can sit down without popping.” Dawn nodded sagely and shouldered the staff she was holding. “If she puts a little Wytch Hazel in her bath she could at least dry them up some.”

Hermione nodded in agreement. “That really would make all the difference and I'm not sure that she should be wearing a g-string when she's that…”

“Podgy?”

“Fat?”

“Unappealing?”

Hermione giggled reprovingly at Ron, Harry and Draco. “I was going to say ‘unsuited to them'.” She flushed guiltily. “But any of the above will do, I suppose.”

Dawn ran a smug hand over her own slender hips. “She's a whale, Herm. Don't be tempted to sugar coat it.”

“Right.” Kit flexed her own curvaceous buttocks and added virtuously. “Think we should get her a Stairmaster? It could be a symbol of our goodwill.”

“We shouldn't mock the afflicted.” Ginny's righteous expression lasted precisely three seconds before she burst out laughing. “And what's a Stairmaster?”

“That is enough!” Giles crossed his arms and frowned warningly at the group in front of him. “All of you are here to conduct a serious test and evaluation of your abilities and if you…”

Connor leaned around Giles. “Hi, Dad!” He waved happily at Angel as the vampire beamed at him. “Ready to get your asses kicked?” Angel's grin rapidly disappeared at the cocky comment and he turned back to his huddle with Buffy, Spike and Gunn and began to mutter urgently in a low voice.

“I think we could all agree your focus needs some work.” Giles stepped up the unimpressed look as he suddenly became the centre of the Eight's attention. “And it's no good looking at me like that! If this is the way you habitually behave on the field of engagement then it's a wonder that you've managed to survive this long.” He briefly turned to glare over his shoulder at his Slayer and her companions. “Although the same could be said for everyone in this room.”

Dawn rolled her eyes and leaned into Hermione. “Better call down to the kitchens. Watcher guy needs a tea infusion, stat!”

Connor looked hurt. “We're very professional.” He looked at Draco for moral support. “And our quips are normally much pithier, right?”

Draco nodded supportively. “Absolutely.” He smiled winningly at Giles. “I save all my best material for the demonic adversaries, sir. Don't you worry, we carry the sarcastic banter banner high and do you proud whenever we leave the school.”

Hermione raised her hand helpfully. “I find it useful to write a selection of appropriately dismissive remarks down before we leave.” She dropped her blunted stake on the floor and began to rummage in the pockets of her jeans. “I think I have one here if you'd like to look it over?”

“The direct approach usually works the best.” Ginny smiled shyly up at Draco as he slipped an arm around her and cuddled close. “The best results come from insulting their mothers.”

Ron looked at Hermione askance. “You write nasty remarks down?” He rolled his eyes at Hermione's uneasy blush. “Your mind is a very scary place, Herm.”

“Why are you watching his arse?” Harry folded his arms and told himself he wasn't whining; he was just…investigating. “I'm your boyfriend!” He pouted. “And I won't let you check out mine because I don't want to rush you into anything.” Harry sniffed angrily. “It's called showing you some respect.”

“That, and he's terrified of Spike finding out.” Dawn sniggered as Harry frowned at her and grinned unrepentantly at him. “Wuss.”

Spike's head snapped around from where he was conferring with Angel and the others. “Bloody right! You just keep your magically enhanced hands off my girl, mate, or I'll snap them off and ram them right up your - Mmpf!” Blue eyes narrowed in annoyance as Buffy clapped her hand over Spike's mouth and prudently cut off the rest of his threat.

Connor smirked. “If he won't let Kit anywhere near it what makes you think you'll stand a chance, buddy?” His friends, bar Harry, started to laugh at the look on Spike's face and then laughed harder at the outraged look on Harry's.

“Ok, that's it.” Willow clapped her hands together as Giles went a worrying shade of purple and thankfully took charge before things got any further out of hand. “Take your positions. We've sorted you out into groups so we can make as good a call as we can on what you guys have got.”

The Eight swapped worried looks and then Ron stepped forward. “Er, I thought we'd be taking you all on together?” He nodded at the older people ranged before them and then looked uneasily back at his friends. “We don't fight without each other usually.”

Willow edged Giles out of the way and patted Ron's shoulder comfortingly. “I know, sweetie, we'll get to that part. For now let's just see how you do one on one, ok? Now listen up and we'll tell you who you got paired with. Connor and Buffy, Dawn and Angel, Spike and Ron, Draco and Gunn, Harry and Wesley, Hermione and Cordelia and Ginny, you're with Fred, sweetie. Any questions?”

Connor scowled. “How come I'm not fighting my dad?” He bounced eagerly on his toes and shot an apologetic look at Buffy. “I'd rather be fighting him.”

“You know each other too well.” Buffy finished tying her hair back in a ponytail and rolled her shoulders to loosen them. “We don't want this to be a re-hash of your training sessions back home.” She flashed a lightening grin. “I'm gonna be the biggest challenge you've ever faced, pee-wee.”

“Pee-wee?” Connor raised his eyebrows and exchanged looks with Draco before peering in exaggerated curiosity at the floor where Buffy stood. “Did you just hear something, Draco?”

“Thought I heard a little squeak.” Draco's face flooded with mocking laughter and he blithely forgot all about witnessing Buffy kicking Auror ass all over Fudge's court just a couple of months previously. “Could be a mouse.”

Dawn took a prudent step back. “Connor, you are so gonna get your ass kicked.” She looked anxiously at Buffy. “Just don't break him too badly, ok? We don't have classes for another week and I kinda had plans for us.”

“Screw that, you break him as much as you want, Slayer.” Spike looked positively delighted at the thought of smoochie privileges being stripped from Dawn. “Snap him in two, luv!”

“That is ENOUGH!” Giles' voice echoed off from the rafters of the empty Great Hall and he glared at his Slayer as she opened her mouth to indulge in another metaphorical pissing contest with Connor. “Not another word, Buffy. Assume your positions.” All combatants wisely decided they'd pushed Giles as far as they could for the moment and obediently lined up opposite their designated partners. “Begin when ready.”

Connor eyed Buffy as he moved forward slowly. “Let's show ‘em what we've got, guys. Don't take any prisoners.” Without waiting for a response from his house he pivoted and kicked out at Buffy's unprotected face. “Get ‘em!”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

Ten minutes later it was all over. “Well that was embarrassing.” Dawn shifted grumpily under Angel's weight as he held her pinned to the floor and awkwardly turned her head to see Connor pressed face first into the self same stone floor and his arms twisted uncomfortably behind his back on the point of snapping in two. “What was that about taking prisoners, sweetie?”

“Shut up.” Connor tried to buck against Buffy's hold and only succeeded in making stars shoot behind his eyes at the pain from his straining shoulders and arms. “Shit!”

Cordelia looked over from where she had Hermione neutralised in a tight choke hold. “Watch your language, Connor.” She turned her head at the sound of a low, fierce mutter from Draco as he strained against Gunn, who was holding him on his knees with one arm bent straight back behind him. “You too, mister. Don't make me come over there!”

Giles nodded wearily as he meandered between the eight pairs standing, or lying, on the hall floor. “Just as I thought. Over-confident, arrogant, in some cases far too interested in watching what certain other people are doing…” He looked significantly between Draco and Ginny and then continued. “You have no idea how to fight in a one on one situation and without your friends backing you up and you've obviously picked up some very bad habits just training with Dawn and Connor.” He nudged The Destroyer's leg as he passed. “And you are far too concerned with making sure Dawn is watching you to even pretend to give Buffy the respect and credibility a seasoned warrior deserves. Congratulations, you're all dead.” Giles clapped his hands briskly. “Very well, let them go.”

The Eight twisted away from the people restraining them and hurriedly re-grouped in the middle of the Hall with decidedly sulky expressions on their faces. “What happened?” Hermione straightened her training sweats and then put her hands on her hips to glare at Dawn. “That shouldn't have happened!”

“We've taken down bigger opponents than that before.” Ron glared in outrage at Spike as he made a very rude gesture and then switched his glare back to Dawn. “What the bleeding hell just HAPPENED?”

Dawn eyed her sister and rubbed a suddenly weary hand across her face. “Just like Giles said, we're over-confident. Badly.”

“Yeah, well let's just see how over-confident they are when we start using magic.” Draco was not the least bit impressed to find himself on the losing side and was fast moving into a place where he was more than happy to show it. “When I've finished with them they're going to wish they'd…”

“I LOST?” Everyone turned at the outraged yell from Connor and then took a step back at the twisted look of fury on his face. “I'M ARROGANT?” He shook off Dawn's restraining arm and started back across the room to Giles. “I'm the Destroyer, you have no idea what I'm capable of!”

“Connor!” Dawn darted after her mate and slapped both hands on his chest as she slipped in front of him. “You need to calm down.”

“The hell I do.” Connor gripped Dawn's shoulders and simply lifted her out of his path. “They have no right coming in here and undermining everything that we've been doing these past few months. We're the Eight, the best there is!”

“No, that would be us.” Buffy waved Dawn back as she tried to grab Connor's arm again and went toe to toe with the livid boy. “We just took you down. We rule, you lose. Deal with it.” She stumbled back as Connor shoved at her and ignored the shouts of protest from half the hall to swing her fist and take him off his feet to crash into the wall some twenty feet away. “If you weren't convinced by the way I had you kissing the floor a couple of minutes ago then I'd be happy to kick your butt again, Sparky.”

Willow brushed past her friend as she rushed to Connor's side. “Sparky?” Buffy shrugged. “Seemed like a Sparky moment.”

Connor pushed away Willow's helping hand and scrambled to his feet to find Dawn once more in his path. “No!” Dawn grabbed his arms in hard hands and shook him. “No, Connor, that's enough.”

“She hit me.” Connor's chest was heaving with fury and his normally creamy skin almost purple with anger. “She HIT me.”

“And if Buffy hadn't, I would have done.” Angel's face was as calm as ever but the snap to his voice had Dawn flinching and Connor hesitating as he tried to go after Buffy again. “Who the hell do you think you are?” One broad hand slapped onto Connor's shoulder and pushed him back a step. “You're a kid, Connor. A kid that gets lucky in a fight occasionally, but still a kid; I'm ashamed of you.”

“Hey!” Dawn's eyes narrowed and she felt the shame twisting inside her start to boil into something fiercer. “Don't talk to him like that.”

“Dawn, stay out of this. Connor is my son and I'll talk to him anyway I damn well please.” Angel looked the two brunettes up and down slowly. “We trusted you to come here and keep yourselves safe and grounded, I accept there's no way you could have anticipated knowing about the prophecy but I can't believe you took it upon yourselves to train these kids and make them think they're invincible!” Angel shook his head in disgust. “From what I saw just now, they're coffin fillers just waiting to happen.”

Dawn flinched back. “We didn't do that. Don't say that.”

“That's exactly what you did, Dawn.” Angel's voice softened as he saw the colour drain from her face but he refused to soften the words that needed to be said. “You've let your reputations and powers get in the way of what real life is. You and Connor have been irresponsible and…”

Angel got no further as a six foot plus blond tornado blindsided him and shoved him away from Connor and Dawn. “Fuck off!” Shaking with rage, Draco slapped both hands on Angel's chest and shoved him back again as the vampire snarled and took a step forward. “You just fuck off and leave them the hell alone!”

Normally the display of brotherly support and love would have had Angel reaching for the Kleenex, now it just had the unfortunate effect of making his eyes glow yellow and his fangs elongating faster then Ron spotting an all you can eat dessert buffet. “You're out of line, Draco.”

“I don't think so.” Ginny and Hermione took up positions at either side of Angel and pointed their wands at the snarling demon. Ginny narrowed her eyes and continued. “One more step and I swear I'll leave you stuck to the ceiling for the next two days.”

“Seconded.” Harry, Kit and Ron flanked their friends and pointed two wands and an axe at the rest of their instructors as they rushed to Angel's side. “You don't talk to them like that.” Harry's eyes shone with fury as he glared at Buffy and Giles. “Nobody talks to them like that.”

“DAWN!” Buffy pushed past Angel and slapped her hands on her hips. “Kit, stop this right now or I swear to God…”

“Make us.” Connor bumped Hermione aside with the nudge of a hip and crossed his arms defiantly as he took his place at Draco's side. “I dare you.”

What would have happened then was anyone's guess but fortunately a jovial voice sounded from the hall doors and if Dumbledore was moving a little faster than his customary ponderous glide then no one noticed. “My, my; this does look interesting.” The old man smoothly insinuated himself between the group of belligerent teens and their apoplectic elders and began to gently ease the Slayer and her companions back. “I believe this is an excellent time to enjoy the refreshments I've ordered to be sent up from the kitchen.” Blue eyes twinkled disarmingly over the Headmaster's shoulders as he herded the Americans back one painful step at a time. “Children, there are pitchers of fresh pumpkin juice and a selection of pastries on the professors table, please help yourselves.” When the Eight stubbornly held their defensive stances the old man's eyes flashed furiously. “Now please!”

Spike growled as the teens glared for another minute and then moved reluctantly off towards the refreshments. “What the bleedin' hell was that about?” He grabbed a handful of Dumbledore's robes. “What the fuck is going on here?”

“Spike!” Giles pulled the vampire back but turned an uncompromising face towards the Headmaster none-the-less. “Albus, what on earth is happening to them?” He shot a look towards the sullen group now casting resentful glares in his direction and shivered at the look of cold anger in their eyes. “This is not normal behaviour. I can't speak for your students but Dawn and Kit have never been so openly rebellious or dismissive of our opinions before and Connor has done very well on overcoming the more primal aspects of his personality so far.” Giles pulled off his glasses and began to clean them. “I'm finding this all very disturbing.”

Professor Dumbledore looked back at the Eight and then at Giles. “I know. I didn't expect this aspect of the prophecy to manifest itself quite so quickly.” For the first time since Giles had known the old wizard, Dumbledore looked uncertain of himself. “Things are moving along much more quickly than I anticipated and I thought I would have more time to warn you, more time to prepare them.”

Giles managed to ignore the deep snarls of warning from both vampires and instead gestured helplessly. “I don't understand, what do you mean? What's moving so fast?”

“Christ.” The startled whisper had everyone turning to Wesley in surprise and he shrugged an apology before pointing back down the hall. “Sorry, it's just…I've never seen anything like that before. They look like they're almost…”

Buffy frowned in confusion as the older man trailed off and exchanged a puzzled look with Willow before she focused in on her sister and her friends. She watched as the young people muttered quietly between themselves and cocked her head to the side in bewilderment as to what had caused the shocked exclamation from Wesley. Everything looked normal. Draco and Connor stood side by side, hands drifting up and down their loves' arms, then Draco focused on Hermione as the brown haired girl said something and he nodded seriously in agreement as he reached out and brushed his knuckles over her jaw in an absent caress.

Buffy blinked. Ok, that was unusual. What was even more unusual was that Ron didn't immediately punch Draco's teeth down his throat but instead didn't even seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. The Slayer felt a prickle of her spidey sense at the base of her neck as she realised that Draco's weren't the only hands that were busy. All of them, every single last one, were talking intently whilst their hands brushed against each other's bodies in unconscious caresses. Harry had one hand around Kit's whilst the other skated over Ron's shoulder before moving to Draco's forearm when the blond spoke. Connor petted Dawn's head where it was cradled on his shoulder with one hand while the other reached out to Ginny and skimmed the skin of one delicate hand before dragging slowly over Hermione's back when she turned to Harry and then moved on to Ron. “Uh, Giles…”

“I see it, Buffy.” Looking like he desperately wished he wasn't seeing anything at all, Giles slipped his glasses back onto his nose and swore quietly to himself when bringing things into focus didn't help the situation any. “Good Lord.” Whilst there was nothing overtly sexual about the display on the platform it was nevertheless deeply uncomfortable to watch the obviously intimate touches and gestures, particularly when the Eight themselves seemed so unaware of what they were doing.

Willow's eyes widened as a thoroughly repressed memory came back from her early days with Buffy. “Um, didn't Xander…”

“It's almost like they're…” Wesley interrupted the witch and then cut himself off with an apologetic look at Angel but continued when the vampire stared at him in helpless confusion. “I mean, I've seen this kind of behaviour before and…”

“For Christ's sake, guys, just spill already!” Cordelia, patient to the end, narrowed annoyed eyes. “They'll be humping each other like bunnies before you get where you're going.”

Willow shook her head, sending her red hair flying around her face. “No, they won't. That's not a mating ritual, that's a comfort thing.” She caught Fred's eye as the Texan made a muffled sound of understanding and turned to look worriedly at Professor Dumbledore. “They're soothing a member of their pack aren't they? Grooming and alleviating the hurt.”

“Yes.” Dumbledore looked at the uneasy faces around him. “I rather think they are.”

Silence greeted his unhappy words and then Gunn made a small sound of disgruntlement. “Man, you have got to stop holding things back from us.” He pointed towards the stage where the low murmurs had fallen away beyond the range of human ears and the group of friends were now almost nuzzling each other as they compared bumps and bruises. “What's next, are they gonna start sprouting little tufty ears and tails? What?” He blinked as the uncomfortable look on the old man's face deepened into outright shame. “Jeez, they aren't gonna do that are they?!”

Giles quickly stepped in front of Spike as he snarled again and fixed his old friend with a no nonsense glare. “Albus, I think it's time you told us all you know. Everything.”

“Yes.” Painfully aware the time had come and that he was no more prepared for it than when he had first been made aware of the Eight and their prophesy when he had first been made Headmaster, Dumbledore nodded. “Let me send the children to their quarters and have Molly and Kit's mother brought to my office and then I'll tell you everything.”

  
  
  


* * *

Albus Dumbledore placed the piece of yellowed parchment before Giles and Wesley with a sigh. “The whole prophesy as told by Helga Hufflepuff.” He closed his eyes for a brief moment. “I'm sorry.” His office was full to bursting with anxious and worried people and he didn't need vampire senses to feel the undercurrents of fear, anger and resentment that swirled around them all. Even Severus Snape had joined them at Liz's insistence and the younger professor stood behind his muggle with one bony hand clasped to the woman's shoulder in tight support as he waited for whatever would be revealed.

Giles could feel his heartbeat pick up as he touched the surface of the thick paper with delicate fingers and he forced himself to focus on the flowing, faded script on the page. He blinked once and then began to read softly aloud.

“Two shall come,

Not of our world and not of their own,

Neither born of woman, soul-joined for eternity,

They shall gather their companions,

Bringing peace where there was discord,

Unity where there was chaos,

Linking hearts and souls to form one,

Warriors and lovers will rise to stand against the dark, 

Finding purpose and hope in each other,

A world shall be shaped around their actions,

Forged with the fire of their blood and fused with the beat of their hearts, 

And together the Eight shall become our salvation”

Dumbledore moved around the desk in the heavy silence and sank into his chair with a bone-weary sigh, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. “How do you tell such young children that all choices have been removed from them a thousand years before they were even born? Explain that not even the most basic rights a human being may have to find their life partner will not be theirs?” He lifted tortured eyes to the adults grouped in his office. “The complete prophesy has never been revealed to anyone who has not worn the mantle of Headteacher at Hogwarts. Just five lines becoming public knowledge in the fifteenth century was enough to start a witch hunt for possible members of the fabled Eight that resulted in the deaths of nearly nine hundred children before the wizard leaders at the time managed to beat the dark forces threatening them. When I realised the time of the Eight was at hand the only thing I felt able to do was nothing.” Every line of the old wizard's body pleaded for understanding. “I had to let them choose what little they could for themselves. For a time I believed that Harry and Hermione might come together and then when Ginny was revealed to also be a member of the Eight then I thought that perhaps she and Harry…”

“My God.” Giles sank back in his chair. “You knew, you knew all along that this would happen to them. They're changing more every day.”

“Yes.” The low whisper didn't ask for forgiveness just understanding. “I knew as soon as I heard tell of Dawn and her Connor. When I saw them together, the love between them, I knew that this would happen and that things would be set in motion that could not be undone. The hardest thing I have ever had to do was sit back and watch as these young people came together, none of them understanding why they felt such a bond between them when all their previous history seemed to indicate they should be fighting each other to the death.” The Headmaster took a deep breath. “I think that's why Draco, Harry, Hermione and Ron have been drawn together as they had over the years, despite their very different personalities and obvious dislike for each other. Something in every individual sensed something hidden in the others that pulled them together without them understanding why. They were so young when they met and so utterly unable to understand what was happening to them that they fought it, and each other, every step of the way.”

“How could you?” Liz was aware that she was shaking but couldn't seem to make herself stop. “How could you let this happen to them? They're just babies…” She turned and buried her head in Snape's chest with a muffled sound of anguish and shuddered gratefully as his arms held her with no hesitation. “Oh God, Kit…”

“I had no way to stop it happening.” Professor Dumbledore pulled off his glasses and rubbed tired eyes. “Dawn and Connor had to be brought somewhere safe and there was no where else I could send them and be sure that they would remain alive and unharmed. I took Ron and Harry with me to collect them because I couldn't leave them alone in London without me there and I had no idea of what could happen to them even in the few hours I was away. When we returned to London there was no sign of anything but four children who always considered themselves outsiders finding a common bond, even when Hermione joined them I watched them and saw nothing but the beginnings of a tentative friendship based on unavoidable circumstances.” The professor replaced his glasses and leaned back in his chair. “The first real sign came with an incident on the train to the school. Ginny had some troubles with a few girls in Slytherin and after Dawn had helped her, Draco made the choice, for whatever reason, to allow an opportunity to punish his enemies slip away. Things happened so fast then and it seemed that everything was so far out of control that we would never again find a balance.

“They formed such an unshakeable bond so fast, excluded all others and then the only person they seemed to tolerate inside their defences was Draco Malfoy.” Dumbledore took a deep breath. “They found each other, across dimensions, worlds and prejudices and I have come to believe that they would have found each other and held on no matter what measures were taken to prevent that happening.”

“What's going to happen to them?” Wesley's eyes narrowed as he looked up from the parchment. “It says here that they will become one.”

“I don't believe that is meant in terms of normal human understanding, Mr Wyndam-Pryce. Something within all of them is, was, incomplete and they found what was missing in each other. When Dawn decided to use blood to strengthen the portal to find Mr Harris I think that somehow accelerated the effects of the bond that they had already established and forced into all of them something which they were not quite ready to accept.” Professor Dumbledore looked with tired eyes at the strained faces surrounding them. “When you wanted to stop them in that room when they first mixed their blood it could have easily destroyed them or whoever tried to force them apart. I couldn't let that happen no matter what the consequences. I understand that now Harry and Kit and Draco and Ginny have taken the first steps into forming a more intimate relationship with each other and I also believe that was a direct result of the group joining. The bond that holds them now goes beyond what we would understand to be love and comradeship and Dawn and Connor and Ron and Hermione already had their partners to help them cope with the sudden intenseness of their feelings but their friends did not.”

“A self-defence mechanism.” Willow stood next to Buffy and Spike supportively and allowed her mind to drift towards the familiar pull of working out a puzzle instead of focusing on the realities of the situation and the effect it would have on people she cared about. “They needed some way to channel what they felt, some way more normal, so they wouldn't self-destruct.”

“Yes, I believe so.” Dumbledore looked towards Molly and Liz as both women gasped. “I don't think for one moment that it wouldn't have happened eventually. I've been watching them for some time and the feelings they had for each other were plainly shown for anyone that knew how to look. Draco and Harry are very different in a lot of ways but the one thing they both share is an amazing capacity to love. The need in both of them to belong is so strong but they've been so shaped by their circumstances that neither of them has ever been able to articulate it before Ginny and Kit. Those girls have done wonders with them.”

“What's going to happen now?” Buffy was squeezing Spike's hand so tightly the bones creaked but she couldn't make herself let go. “Am I going to lose my sister?”

“No.” Dumbledore paused and then shook his head. “I don't believe so. What happened in the Hall was a reaction to one of their bond mates being threatened, no more. Their emotions are fluctuating wildly at the moment and they have no frame of reference to deal with what they are experiencing so they may be falling back on more…primal ways of handling what they are going through. What they have between them now is more elemental than more civilised emotions but I don't believe that they will, or can, change their basic personality traits. The blood link seems to have altered the way they respond to each other as a group but not how they are as individuals. The best guess I am prepared to make at this point is that over a period of time they may start to access a little of each other's powers and talents but even that is uncertain. I'm afraid all we can do is wait.”

Wesley cleared his throat and glanced at Giles for a moment before asking the question that had been lurking in his mind for the last five minutes. “And if one of them is injured or should die, what then? What would happen to the others?”

Dumbledore seemed to fold in on himself and looked every one of his many years as he met the younger man's eyes. “I don't know.”

“It would affect the survivors, wouldn't it? Badly.” The flat tone of Wesley's voice belayed the tremors of fear that made his heart pound in his chest. “They would… suffer.”

“Yes. They are eight parts of a whole, if one or more parts of that whole were damaged or…removed…then they would suffer.” Dumbledore took a deep shuddering breath and thought of eight young faces that represented hope for the entire world, muggles and wizards alike. “It may be impossible for them to go on without each other at all.”

Molly flinched back as though she had been struck. “You mean they could all die?” Silence was her only answer.


	41. Chapter Thirty-Five

The common room of Durus Catenaus was quiet as Professor Dumbledore and Giles finished speaking and the Eight could do nothing but stare in silence as they tried to process what they had just been told. When their families had returned after their meeting with the Headmaster in his study, the afternoon had drawn into early evening and they had been sitting before the fire on the sofa and floor talking quietly amongst themselves and generally venting serious amounts of annoyance and temper as they waited for what they assumed would be a truly spectacular dressing down. And then they had seen the tears standing in Molly and Liz’s eyes and the lines of fear and tension on other faces and realised once again that the universe had turned around to bite them on their collective asses.

“I’m going to kill him.” Connor Angel stared from the parchment in his hand, to his Headmaster and then to his brother. “I’m going to kill him and then cut his body into such small pieces not even I’d be able to find them. That’s ok, right?”

Draco tried to swallow the bile in his throat and recover some of his god given pissyness. “I think that sounds perfectly reasonable.” He waved a shaking hand towards Professor Dumbledore. “Go get him, mate.” He looked down at the spot by his side that in only twenty-four hours he’d unconsciously named ‘Ginny’s Place’ and was shaken to see that it was empty. Silver eyes widened and darted around the room before he found her, huddled next to her mother and brother and staring at the floor. Draco swallowed again, more convinced than ever that a truly spectacular up-chucking session was imminent, and clenched his fists tightly by his side as he realised she was deliberately avoiding meeting his eyes. He looked around at the rest of his housemates, realised they were all doing the same thing and felt nausea begin to roil with increased intensity in his stomach. This was not good.

“You lied to us?” Dawn’s voice was quiet and puzzled. “The night you told us about the prophecy, you lied to us.” She turned to Buffy and Spike who had watched her silently all through Professor Dumbledore’s explanation and stared at them with wide eyes. “Did you know about this?”

“Sweetie, no, of course not.” Buffy glared furiously at the Headmaster. “I would never have kept something like this from you. Never had let you do what you did to bring Xander home if I’d have known.”

“But you knew?” Dawn’s eyes fixed back on Dumbledore again. “You knew and you let it happen.”

“Yes.” The old man looked even shakier than he had in his office but he made himself look into Dawn’s bewildered face. “I had no choice.”

“There’s always a choice.” Harry’s voice was low and calm, but you didn’t need vampire hearing to catch the underlying tone of menace. He stood ramrod straight by the fire and stared idly at his own hands as they clenched and unclenched before him. “There’s always a choice. You could have stopped this. There were enough of us here that you could have stopped this. You could have sent Dawn and Connor somewhere else, you could have sent Kit away after the trial, but you didn’t. You let this happen to us.”

“Harry…” No one could mistake the devastation in Dumbledore’s face as he looked at the white-faced boy. “I did what I thought was best for you. For all of you.”

Harry’s head moved from side to side in long sweeps of denial and he didn’t feel the bone deep tremors that began to shake his body. “No, what was best for you. You did what was best for you.” Giles held up a sharp hand as Willow moved instinctively towards the stricken boy and shook his head, his message clear. Let the Headmaster reap what he had sowed. “All my life you’ve made those decisions for me and all my life they’ve been wrong. You never thought to ask me what I wanted, what I needed. I thought that I’d finally found something… something…”

“Real.” Draco’s voice was even lower in register than Harry’s but he didn’t see anyone in the room but Ginny. “It was meant to be real.” His face twisted with pain and anger as he stared wild-eyed at Dumbledore. “But it’s not. You bloody stupid old fool what the fucking hell have you done to us?”

“Draco!” Angel reached for the boy as he shoved past him and sprinted up the stairs. “Wait…”

“Dad, leave him.” Connor put a hand on his father’s arm to restrain him and then jerked his head at his friends to indicate they should follow Draco. “I’ll deal with him.” The Destroyer waited until the rest of his house started to move and then turned a cool look on the adults. “You need to leave us alone for a while.” He took hold of Kit and Hermione’s arms when they didn’t move fast enough for his liking and propelled them firmly in front of him. “We need some time on our own, don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.” His eyes narrowed warningly at Professor Dumbledore as he opened his mouth to protest. “Stay away from us.”

“Angel, I really don’t think that they should be on their own.” Giles took off his glasses and began to polish them, unaware that in his agitation he wasn’t using a cloth, just his fingers, as he watched Connor take the stairs two at a time behind his friends. “This is a lot to take in and they need our support.”

Angel tore his eyes away from the stairs and focused on the Watcher. “And they have it, but right now they need to be alone.” He felt a swell of pride in the way his son had taken charge of his friends and the cool assurance that he would deal with the situation. “Connor will look after them.”

Connor caught Angel’s words as he cleared the top of the staircase and felt a warmth spread in his stomach at his father’s evident approval of his actions but it was lost when he heard the sounds of Draco’s frantic motion coming from the boys’ dormitory and saw the rest of his house milling uncertainly in the corridor. “Come on, all of you with me.” Not waiting to make sure he was obeyed, Connor pushed past Harry and Ron and sprinted down the hallway to his room. “Shit, Draco, wait!” Putting every ounce of preternatural speed he had into his lunge across the room he managed to grab the bottom of Draco’s robe as the other boy prepared to swing out of the dormitory window onto the broomstick he had evidently summoned. A hard yank had them both tumbling backwards onto the floor with loud grunts and then Connor found himself battling to keep his face from being smacked in as Draco scrambled to his hands and knees and began lashing out.

“Draco, stop it, that’s enough!” Ron darted forwards and dragged Draco off Connor, cursing and fighting to maintain a grip on the livid body in his arms. “For Merlin’s sake, stop it!”

“Get away from me; get the fuck away from me…” Draco fought furiously as Harry joined Ron and he found his arms being pinned. “Leave me the hell alone!”

“Draco.” Connor got up from the floor and tried to force Draco to look at him. “Draco, calm down, just calm down…”

“I don’t want to fucking calm down, I want to get the fuck out of here and away from the lot of you…” Draco surged forward against restraining hands and nearly took Ron and Harry to the floor. “I want to get the fuck out of here and I want to forget any of you were ever BORN!”

Connor nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” He watched as Draco stop struggling abruptly and stared at him and then turned to the silent girls. “Go pack a bag and then get back here.”

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. “Connor, I don’t think…”

“That wasn’t a request, Hermione.” Connor’s voice brooked no room for argument. “I said go pack a bag and I meant it. Ron, Harry, get some stuff together, we’re out of here.”

“Wh..what?” Harry let go of Draco’s arms and his eyes widened as he watched Connor go to his wardrobe and start stuffing clothes into a small holdall. “We’re leaving?”

“Yes.” Connor zipped up his bag and glared at the girls, still unmoving by the door. “Now, ladies.” He nodded in satisfaction as they blinked and then turned and hurried out the door. “Harry, summon the brooms. Draco, we’re going to have to stick together until we decide what we’re going to do, that ok with you?”

Draco seemed to sag slightly at Connor’s easy agreement of his big dramatic gesture. “Well, er…”

“Great.” Connor crossed to the door and stuck his head out. “I’m waiting, Dawn!” He cocked his head and listened intently. “They’re arguing downstairs, they shouldn’t know we’re missing until it’s too late. Harry, how are those brooms coming?”

“Um, right here.” Harry gestured aimlessly at the window, where several objects were floating equally aimlessly in the crisp December night. “Are we really going to do this?”

“Yup.” Connor caught Dawn’s arm as she led the other girls back through the door, now all bundled up against the frigid night. “We can fly in the usual pairings and we’re heading for Hogsmeade, the place is still deserted and we can spend the night there and figure out what we want to do.” He clapped his hands impatiently. “Come on, let’s get going.” He rolled his eyes in annoyance as Hermione opened her mouth to try one last protest. “NOW, Hermione.”

Ron moved slowly to the window. “Shouldn’t we, you know, leave a note or something?”

Connor cocked an eyebrow. “Do you want to?”

“Well…no.” Ron’s pale face was drawn and hard and he looked like he wanted to be sick. “Not really.”

Connor clapped a hand on his shoulder kindly. “Then let’s just get the hell out of here. I’ll take point.” He waited until everyone had got themselves settled on their brooms, listened one last time to the accusations and angry shouting that were still wafting up from the common room and then vaulted out of the window to land securely on his broom. “Follow me.” The Eight took to the skies, and without a backward glance, flew into the dark night.

  
  


* * *

Angel stopped abruptly in the middle of yelling at Dumbledore and Giles and tilted his head as he caught Spike’s eye. The younger vampire cocked his head, listened hard and then gave a sharp nod. Angel crossed his arms and smiled coldly. “They’re gone.”

“Wh…what?” Liz looked up from where she and Molly were huddled together on the sofa as Snape hovered protectively over them. “Gone?”

“Gone.” Angel smiled reassuringly at the horrified looking woman. “Don’t worry, they’ll be back. To us anyway.” He directed a hard look at Professor Dumbledore. “But not to you. Whatever they decide they want to do then we’re going to support them. If they want to walk and forget you and this whole mess ever existed then I’m taking them to wherever they want to go and you can take your chances because this is their decision and their lives and nothing and no one is going to make me forget that.”

“Angel, the prophesy…” Giles backed up a step as Spike’s finger poked hard in the middle of his chest.

“Fuck the bleedin’ prophesy and fuck you, Watcher.” Spike crossed to Angel’s side and folded his arms belligerently. “Somewhere along the soddin’ line you forgot who you were dealing with ‘ere.” He jerked a thumb at Angel. “We’re the Scourge of fuckin’ Europe and we don’t go around bloody kow-towing to bits of paper.”

Angel crossed his arms across his chest and eyed Spike askance. “Actually, I’m the Scourge, you were just one of the sidekicks.”

“Guys.” Buffy’s sharp voice curtailed the escalating pissing contest and both vampires turned to look at her. “Giles may have a point; I don’t think we should just let them go off on their own.”

Spike and Angel regarded her silently for a long moment and then met each other’s eyes, for once in perfect understanding. “Then you’ll have to go through us to bring them back, Buffy.” Angel stood shoulder to shoulder with Spike and watched as the Slayer drew herself up in rigid disbelief. “They know what they’re doing.”

Spike felt his stomach clench at the look of betrayal on Buffy’s face and muttered sincerely. “Wish we did.” Then the shouting started again.

  
  


* * *

The Eight eventually touched down at the deserted farm where just a few days before they had killed the last demonic reindeer and Draco and Ginny had exchanged their first kiss. Connor looked wistfully at the darkened outline of the barn where he and Dawn had celebrated their victory with such abandon as he shepherded the others inside the farmhouse but he figured now was not the time to ask for a repeat performance. He heaved a heavy sigh as he shut the door behind them, maybe later. He followed his friends into the musty, disused house and tried not to crinkle his nose at the stale smelling air as he watched them drift aimlessly into the living room and then Connor realised that not only was he going to have to be responsible for lighting a fire and making sure they didn’t all freeze to death he was also going to have to be responsible for pulling them all back from whatever cliff top they were all teetering on the edge of.

Him, Connor Angel, Mr Man-Of-Action-How-Do-You-Spell-Emotional-Sharing-Again? Connor growled fiercely in the back of his throat, he was SO going to kill Dumbledore for this. The faces that were turned from each other in the dim light were so utterly stark with devastation and horror that Connor almost swayed under the impossible weight of his duty to them but he finally managed to pull himself together and head for the pile of logs by the empty fireplace and make an attempt to at least get a little heat and light going. Fire first, repairing of shattered spirits and dreams later.

When the fire was finally happily crackling in the grate, Connor sat back on his heels and watched the flames for a minute before taking a deep breath and standing to face the silent room behind him. The people he had lived with for the last few months, his lover and his brother included for the Powers sake, were scattered around the room as far away as they could get from each other and staring with empty eyes at the dusty floor as they resolutely ignored their companions. Connor scowled; just how exactly was he meant to fix this again?

“Ok, so a hot drink would probably be good right about now. I’m gonna go see if there’s anything left in the kitchen, you guys stay here.” He made for the door that led into a gloomy hallway and then stopped suddenly, turned and just went for it with every breath in his body because something told him if he walked out the door, even for a second, then whatever damaged parts or emotions could be salvaged from this situation would be irrevocably lost forever more. “Actually, we should look for something stronger, because I don’t think I want our last time together to go down over a nice cup of tea.” It was like a jolt of electricity had simultaneously shot through all of them at his words and Connor smiled coldly as he finally, finally had their attention. “What? That’s what this is, isn’t it? This is it for us. Come tomorrow you know we’re going back to the school and we’re handing in our hero credentials and we’re never gonna see each other again so why the hell shouldn’t we get good and drunk while we’re at it?”

Kit’s arms tightened around her shivering body and she stared in dazed amazement at Connor. “We’re leaving?” Her eyes darted to the white faced Harry. “We’re going back to Sunnydale?”

And Connor had to hide a smirk because she’d said Sunnydale instead of ‘home.’ “Well, yeah. It’s not like we can stay here now this has happened.” He sauntered casually across the room to where Hermione was huddled against a large wooden cabinet and moved her gently aside before exploring the contents. “I figure we’ve got about twelve hours before we pack our bags and head back to America.” He grunted in approval as he found a bottle of fire whisky and turned back to face the room as he waved the bottle in a salute. “So let’s get good and drunk and finish a hell of a ride in style.”

Ron eyed the bottle of potent liquor with a covetous expression. “What about Voldemort? He’s not going to give up looking for you, looking for all of us actually.”

Connor shrugged and cracked open the bottle and then, mindful of the last time he tried for nonchalant man of the world and ended up spitting whisky all over Draco, took a cautious swig. “True, but I imagine we can come up with something. It’s gotta be easier to hide us in ones and twos than in a big group, right? And if we’re not at the school anymore then he’ll have no reason to attack them.” He took another swig of whisky. “Works out great for everyone.”

Dawn blinked at her lover. “So we’re just going home?” She licked dry lips and gestured to their friends. “What about the bond?”

Connor shrugged again and handed off the whisky to a very thirsty looking Draco. Who, once again, managed to suck down a few mouthfuls of the potent liquid without so much as a flinch. The bastard. “What about it? You and I are the only ones that have really gone the distance, everyone can decide for themselves what they want and then move on.” He ignored the sudden hard looks being shot his way from his friends at the casual dismissal of their feelings and emotions and smirked mischievously. “After all it could have been a lot worse.” He waited until Draco had just taken another swig of whisky before delivering the punchline. “There was nothing in the prophecy saying who should be paired with who. Draco and Harry could have just as easily knocked boots with each other rather than the girls.” The sudden burst of liquid from Draco’s mouth and the resulting fireball from the fireplace had Connor grinning and congratulating himself on his impeccable comic timing. Who said he had no sense of humour?

Connor ignored the horrified spluttering from Draco and Harry’s speechless mouth working up and down and gave Ron a horribly exaggerated leer. “Or it could have been you and me.” The Destroyer’s eyebrows waggled in a disturbing parody of barely controlled lust. “There’s something about a guy with freckles and muscles out the wazoo that just gets me…” He licked his lips and cranked up the leer. “Hot.” The howl of shocked laughter from Ron was worth more to Connor than all the gold in Gringotts.

“Oh god…” Ron bent over at the waist, hurriedly straightened when he realised how that move could be misinterpreted, and settled for leaning against the wall as he shook with hysterical giggles. “There’s a picture to keep me up at night.”

Dawn stared at her mate as he smirked with satisfaction and then turned to look at the rest of the girls, who so far had made no sound or movement except for Kit and Ginny hastily moving away from the fire to avoid Draco’s impromptu fireball.

Surprisingly it was Hermione who spoke first and a tiny, mischievous smile played around the English girl’s lips as she looked Dawn up and down. “I could go for tall, dark and curvy.” Dawn’s bugging green eyes clashed with Hermione’s wry brown ones and then both girls collapsed with laughter.

Kit and Ginny looked at their friends and then turned and looked each other critically up and down. Kit quirked an eyebrow and couldn’t help her wide grin. “Could be worse. You’re pretty hot for a limey witch.”

“There’s just something about muggles…” Ginny couldn’t finish the sentence and instead leaned up against a nearby chair and joined Kit in a bout of giggles. “We could be so good together!”

Draco stopped dead in his tracks as his hands reached for Connor’s unprotected throat and his eyes glazed slightly. He turned his head at a muffled choking sound and met Harry’s wide eyes briefly before they both stared thoughtfully at their girlfriends. Maybe this bonding thing wouldn’t turn out to be so bad after all.

Connor looking triumphant, and just a little flushed from his own mental pictures of Dawn and Hermione, clapped his hands together and nodded knowingly. “See? Could definitely be a lot worse.” He beamed around the room as the chuckles and laughter began to die out and then stepped towards the two huge sofas that were arranged along opposite walls. “Someone give me a hand moving these a little nearer the fire and then we can all sit down and talk about what we want to do.”

Ron and Harry, carefully skirting Draco with a worried look, moved to help him move the overstuffed couches so they sat before the fire facing each other and then the Eight gathered before the fireplace and eyed each other before the girls took one sofa and the boys took the other. Connor slanted a look at Dawn’s pale face and ruthlessly suppressed the spike of sheer panic that shot through him at her wide shocky eyes and instead leaned back until he sat shoulder to shoulder with Draco and prepared to create some order out of the chaos that had been unleashed upon them. “Look, I don’t know what to say or what we should do but I think for the minute we should just look at the facts we have, ok?” He waited for the series of jerky nods that signalled his friends were at least listening to him and then nodded himself. “Ok, Hermione, you’re the primary brains of the operation, lay it out for us. What are we up against?”

Hermione jumped slightly where she sat seated between Ginny and Kit and blinked uncomprehendingly at Connor’s expectant face. “Um, what?”

Connor narrowed his eyes and sighed. “Herm, give us the basics of the prophecy and let’s at least make sure we’re all on the same page here.”

“Oh.” Hermione swallowed and tried to remember how to make her brain work. “Ok.” She began to tug nervously at a wiry brown curl as it kissed the side of her white face and stared at her shoes for a moment before taking a deep breath and visibly collecting herself. “Right. Well, from what I understand there seem to be three basic points to the prophesy. One, we all come together. Two, there is going to be a significant increase and change in our own individual talents once that happens and we are…what we mean to each other…is pre-destined and our lives are inexorably entwined, perhaps even to the point of…um…”

“Death.” Connor nodded, rolled his eyes and waved a negligent hand. “Yeah, well none of us have ever been able to call our lives our own so let’s just leave that one on the backburner for now. I think we’ve pretty much sorted out the fact that we made our own choices in the relationship department unless Draco and Harry have something they’re not sharing with the group so that leaves us with the powers thing.”

Hermione nodded, feeling her heart slowly calm under the comforting familiarity of working through a puzzle. “Yes, and the third point of we’re expected to save the world from Voldemort and his followers.”

Connor pleased that going with the basic instinct of just talking until he’d taken the edge off Hermione’s fear and pain by making her think instead of feel seemed to be working. “Right, how sure are we that this big threat to the world is Voldemort? I mean, we’ve faced some pretty big things between us all and there has to be something out there that’s meaner than an elderly dark wizard, right? He could just be the warm up act, the main event could be, like, years from now.” His words failed to have the intended reassuring effect that he intended and he glanced curiously at the stricken faces pointed in his direction. “What? You’re not telling me that none of you have thought that at some point over the past few months?”

Kit swallowed nervously. “There’s something worse than Voldemort out there?” Her stomach rolled ominously at the thought. “He’s not our big bad?”

Connor eyed her for a moment and then leaned forward to brace his forearms on his splayed thighs. “Kit, there’s always something worse out there, you know that. All I’m saying is that we need to start thinking about options and possibilities here.” Connor twisted slightly to look at Harry and Ron. “I mean, this guy’s pretty old, right? All the stuff he’s into can’t be good for him and when he showed up in Sunnydale I didn’t think he looked that hot. The chances are we could just stay on the defensive for the next couple of years and he’ll croak anyway, we don’t need to go all out to kill him when nature’s pretty much gonna take care of it for us anyway.”

Despite herself Dawn was able to giggle, albeit slightly shakily. “Wait Em’ Out, that’s a new approach to destroying evil.”

Draco stopped staring at his hands, twisting tensely around each other and looked up with a snort. “Works for me. Anything that keeps me breathing a second longer than my opponent has my vote.” He glanced at Connor and then at Ron. “Where’d that whisky go?”

Connor climbed to his feet and went to retrieve the bottle of whisky from the wooden table where Draco had left it after spitting his mouthful across the room and swigged thoughtfully at the bottle as he wandered back to his friends. “I think the worst thing we can do now is assume anything.” He raised an eyebrow as Draco snatched the bottle from his hand and then perched comfortably on the arm of the overstuffed couch. “We need to forget about all the things that we think we know and just concentrate on what is. We are the Eight and, for whatever reason, we’re meant to save the world at some unspecified point in time.” He met Dawn’s unreadable eyes and smiled carefully. “Well I don’t know about the rest of you but I’ve saved the world at least three times this year that I know of so my end of the bargain’s been taken care of.”

Kit was still having problems with one of Connor’s earlier statements however. “There’s WORSE things out there than Voldemort?” She looked at Dawn and then at Hermione and Ginny. “Seriously? Are we talking like bigger, badder wizards or, like, uber wizarding demons or something?”

Ginny started to finger her scar in a habitually nervous gesture that came to her subconscious mind when the world was just too much to take. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s something from your world. You fought the origin of all evil already this year didn’t you, maybe he means that.”

Kit recoiled and stared at Ginny in horror. “No way, that thing is dead. Right, Dawn?” She turned huge, pleading eyes to her friend and was not calmed to see Dawn staring with equally stricken eyes back at her. “Dawn, it IS dead, right?”

Connor sighed, remembered why he tended to be the one that was good at action rather than talking, and jumped in to stop the panic train in its tracks. “Guys, stop it!” He smiled gently at the freaked out girls and promised himself time with Professor Dumbledore and really big stick sometime in his immediate future. “I didn’t say there was anything worse than Voldemort, just that there could be. My point was that none of this is set in stone, no matter what the prophecy says. All of us have saved the world at some point already, who’s to say we haven’t already done our jobs and fulfilled the prophecy?”

Harry licked dry lips and avoided Kit’s worried eyes. “Do you believe that?”

“Well, no.” Connor shrugged and flashed his friend a guilty smile. “But that’s probably because I’m always on the look out for a good fight. I’m always up for an apocalypse.”

“We’re avoiding the main issue here, Connor, and however much you say it doesn’t matter it really, really does.” Dawn swallowed against the dryness in her throat and looked up with tortured eyes. “Once again we seem to be destiny’s chosen bitches. People we trusted lied to us and let us bond ourselves to each other without clueing us in on what the hell would happen to us.”

“Dumbledore lied to us.” Connor folded his arms across his chest and stuck his chin out. “No one else.”

“Giles too.” Dawn folded her own arms and glared back. “He knew about the prophecy and sent us here anyway.” She jumped abruptly to her feet, suddenly unable to remain seated calmly on the couch. “You can take the guy out of the Watcher, but you can’t take the Watcher out of the guy. I can’t believe he did that to me, I thought I mattered…” One hand shot out and pointed at Kit. “I thought WE mattered.”

Kit jumped and shook her head. “No, Giles wouldn’t do that. He only knew about a few lines, he had no way of knowing…”

“WAKE UP, KIT!” Dawn’s voice cracked mid-scream and her eyes filled with angry tears. “There’s no way that he didn’t at least suspect something like this would happen, he’s been doing this too damn long and too damn well not to realise there was more to this than meets the eye. If he could reconcile himself to sacrificing me to Glory when I was just a kid then he could damn well watch us get into this if it meant that the good guys came out ahead again.” Dawn skirted Connor’s reaching hands and threw up her own in exasperation as Kit began to weep frightened tears. “Giles knew, ok? He knew.”

Connor gave up on caring and concerned and decided to give angry and proactive a go. “So, what, you’re just ready to forget all that we’ve done together and built just because we got lied to?” He caught Dawn’s arm in a tight grip when she tried to brush past him again and shook her hard. “Giles did what he had to do, and, yes, he went about it all wrong and maybe we’d have made different choices if we’d have known what he did at the beginning but it’s too late now.” His face flushed, Connor shook Dawn until her teeth rattled. “We know NOW, ok, we get to make choices now and then we get to follow them through and this time there’s no one to blame but us if we get it wrong.”

“For fucks sake, Connor, we don’t have a choice.” Draco leaned across Ron and grabbed the bottle back from Harry. “Weren’t you listening back at the school? We get to be together and screw together and then, if we’re really lucky, we get to fucking die together.” The bottle rose in a bitter toast. “To our lives, perhaps in death we can finally call them our own.”

Dawn wrenched free of Connor’s grip and snatched at the bottle before it made its wobbly way to Draco’s lips. “Give me that.” She sucked frantically at the liquid inside and was alarmed to find it didn’t seem to be melting the ice inside her one bit. “Fucking prophesies.”

Harry took his glasses off and rubbed his stinging eyes wearily as he looked up at Connor. “What choices do you think we have, Connor? Where can we go from here if we don’t go back to the school?”

Connor’s mouth fell open in surprise and he stared in disbelief at the people around him. “Apparently I wasn’t the only one not listening at school. We can do anything, go anywhere, because we’re the Eight!” He let go of Dawn with a small shove and planted his hands on his hips in disgust. “And you people think you’re so bright. Jerks. We’re the most powerful force the world has ever seen, right? So who the hell is going to make us do anything we don’t want to do? For God’s sake, we don’t even have to stay in this DIMENSION if we don’t want to, never mind the country. If we choose not to use our power together then we can go our separate ways and use the resources we have to hide out so well that no one will ever find us. We don’t have to fight and we don’t have to die and we don’t have to stay together. We can do ANYTHING.”

“Connor…” Ron shook his head tiredly and glanced at Hermione for a moment before looking up at his friend. “It’s not that simple. I’m not exactly in Herm’s league when it comes to brains but even I can see we’re in real trouble here.” Big, freckled hands clenched and unclenched on his thighs. “What if we do decide not to stay together? A week, a year, down the road we could be attacked, sodding hell, just get clobbered on the head by a falling box and get killed and then what happens to the rest of us? You could be back in America and I might not have seen you or even spoken to you for months and you’d be as dead as me.” Ron fought back the flood of bile that rose up in his throat. “Bloody hell, you’d be dead because of me.”

Connor forgot all about angry and proactive and instead just got plain mean. “Right, and the chances of us all making through every battle we’re going to have over the next fifty years alive is SO high. You guys might be happy to go through your lives jumping at shadows and flinching at every loud noise but that’s not the way I’m going to play this. Yes, we’re joined and it sucks but right now we’ve got no way of knowing what that means in any practical terms; the only thing that matters is where we want to go from here. What each of us wants for ourselves.”

“And what do you want, Connor?” Ginny looked up from where she was intently studying the ends of her long hair and met Connor’s flashing eyes. “Where are you choosing to go with this? If this is all so easy then show us what you want.”

“Dawn.” Connor stared back at her for a moment and then shrugged as the tension left his body. “The same thing I’ve always wanted, anyway I can get her.” He looked away from Ginny and fixed serious eyes on Dawn’s white face. “That’s not going to change, not ever. I don’t care about the prophesy or about something I may or may not do in the future, I’m going with what I know is real here and now.” He moved slowly towards his love and gently took her in his arms. “Whatever else happens we know that this is real, right?”

“Connor.” Dawn held herself rigid for a moment and then her head bent forward under the impossible weight of the fate of the world once more resting on it. She pressed her face into the side of his neck and her arms wound around his waist with desperate strength. “I don’t know what to do.”

“I know, baby.” Connor stroked a soft hand over her hair and cuddled her closer. “I’m here, don’t worry.” He swayed from side to side and crooned wordlessly for a few minutes as their friends alternately watched them and each other and then finally pressed a tender kiss to her temple. “We all need some time to think this over and decide what we want to do.” He sighed as he skated over the fact that Dawn hadn’t confirmed that she knew what was between them was real and hugged her to him tighter.

“Look, we’re just going in circles here with each other, I think we need a few hours apart. If we stay in the house, or at least close to it, we should be safe enough. Everyone just take some time to think about what they want to do and we’ll meet back here in the morning and work out what we want from there.” Another huge sigh escaped him. “No matter what we decide there won’t be any recriminations, agreed? We respect each other’s choices and decisions and go from there.”

Small silent nods seemed to be his only answer and then Harry stood and looked down at his feet for a moment before moving off into the darkened house. Slowly, and always alone, the others followed until only Connor and Dawn were left standing by the fireplace and holding each other in a loose embrace. Connor kissed the shining hair under his chin and then led her to one of the sofas.

“C’mon, baby, let’s just sit here a while and get our breath back, it’s been a long day.” He pulled Dawn into his side as he sat bracing himself against the corner of the couch and wrapped both arms around her waist as she pressed her face to his chest and began to cry. “Just rest, sweetie, it’ll be ok.” Connor stared into the fire as his love sobbed against him and then tilted his head back, closed his eyes and began to list all the ways you could kill an elderly wizard without getting caught. When Dawn eventually wept herself into an uneasy doze, he’d found seventy-three scenarios that would possibly work and was confident that seventy-four was attainable if he could only get hold of a small slime demon and piece of nutmeg.

  
  


* * *

Hermione found herself in the attic of the cold and drafty farmhouse an hour later, attracted by a dull rhythmic thumping and intermittent crashes that, when she walked through the open attic door, resolved themselves into her boyfriend industriously knocking the slates from the roof from the inside with a broken broomstick. “Ronald Weasley, what on earth do you think you’re doing?”

Ron jumped slightly and then turned to Hermione with a brief smile before going back to knocking holes in the roof. “Alright, Herm? I was thinking, you know, about stuff and then it sort of got a bit warm but I didn’t want to go outside because it’s bloody freezing out there so I just sort of…”

“Thought you’d practise some mindless vandalism to pass the time?” Hermione folded her arms over her chest and shivered in the frigid air of the attic. “Ron, stop. It’s freezing up here.”

Ron knocked another slate off and listened to it crash to the ground outside before starting on another one. “I don’t think I can.” He stabbed upwards with the broken shaft of wood in his hand and swallowed back an angry snarl. “I can’t breathe in here if I don’t do this.”

Hermione’s eyes widened at the choked tone of Ron’s voice and she made her careful way across the attic floor, mindful of decade’s worth of junk that spilled into her path. “Ron, please.” She reached hesitantly out and touched his arm.

“Please, Ron.” She felt the muscles under her fingertips tremble for a moment before Ron sagged and the broom in his hands dropped to the floor. “Thank you.”

Ron rubbed a shaky hand across his eyes and then stared at Hermione’s face, half hidden in the weak moonlight. “You probably want to talk.”

“Not really.” Hermione’s face twisted in an approximation of a smile, but her heart wasn’t really in it. “But I think we have to.” She glanced around and saw a pile of old curtains lying abandoned on the floor. “Do you want to sit down?” She waited for Ron’s reluctant nod and then they moved in unspoken agreement to drag the dusty material under the gaping hole in the roof so they were directly under the dim stars and then sat side by side, carefully not touching.

Ron tilted his head back to watch the frigid night sky for a long time before sighing and lying down to tuck his hands behind his head. “What a bloody mess.”

Hermione tried for another smile, didn’t pull it off and instead kept her eyes on the stars. “Yes.” Another long tense silence fell.

“You know, when I used to think of what my life would be like, I never thought it would be like this.” Ron grinned at the huff of impatient air from Hermione that signalled a roll of her eyes at the stupidity at his remark and continued quietly. “I mean, I always knew that I’d be there at the end with Harry when it came down to the showdown with Voldemort but I never thought that I’d actually matter in it. I thought we’d be there, see Harry through it, deal with whatever happened and then we’d just go on. You’d go to the Ministry and do something terrifyingly brilliant with long complicated spells, I’d probably join my Dad’s department or join the Auror’s with Harry and then we’d just…go on. We’d probably get married and have a couple of sprogs, you’d get fat, I’d lose my hair and we’d…well…”

“Turn into your mother and father?” Highly amused, Hermione finally looked at Ron to see him flashing an answering smile back at her. “Great. What if I didn’t want children?”

“Then we’d have talked about it and you’d have lost.” Ron’s smile melted from his face and he turned his eyes to the stars once more. “I don’t think I’m saying this right, Herm.” He took a few moments to collect his thoughts and then tried again. “I always thought this stuff with Harry would end, maybe not by the time we finished school, but that it would end someday and we’d always have it to look back on but it would be over. I’ve spent enough time with Harry to know that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be being the saviour of mankind and when we met Dawn and Connor it was like a whirlwind, something totally out of control but I always thought it would end. I used to watch them and you could see they were meant to be together, that there couldn’t ever be anyone for them but each other, and that was great but it never seemed…peaceful. They were always so intense with each other, so larger than life, and after I got to know them and saw what love was like for them I never wanted that for me.” He smiled at the confused look on Hermione’s face and shrugged. “I’ve watched my mum and dad all my life and I suppose I’ve always sort of thought that when I fell in love it would be like that. Mum and Dad don’t have the sort of relationship that is always moving and restless, they’ve built things up from having a history and making a life together and it’s…quiet.” Ron blinked up at the stars and swallowed the lump in his throat as he thought of his parents. “That’s what love should be, quiet and soothing and… safe, I suppose.”

Hermione’s eyes filled with hurt tears. “And that’s not what we have, is it?” She scrubbed angrily at her face and leaned back as Ron reached for her. “You don’t want us to be together anymore, do you?”

“Hermione, that’s not what I said.” Ron ignored her flailing hands and yanked hard on her robes to pull her down next to him. “Just shut up a minute and listen to me, you silly cow.” He waited until after Hermione gasped in annoyance at his less than tender endearment and then rolled onto his side to face her, although their bodies were still separated by several inches. “Yes, we have that, or at least I feel that about us. We’ve had six years of rowing and making up and me being annoyed with you when you prattle on and get all bossy and you getting annoyed with me when I wind you up and ignore you but now there’s this other thing. The soul mate thing. I don’t want us to be a pre-destined love because then that means this is never going to end and we don’t get to turn into my mum and dad, do you see? We’re going to be just like Connor and Dawn or Buffy and Spike and we’re never going to have this just for us.”

Hermione blinked. “You’re probably the only person in the entire history of the world who has ever said they don’t want a soul mate, Ronald Weasley. Most people would die for an opportunity to have this.”

“Well not me.” Ron snorted and scrubbed a shaking hand over his white face. “The stupid thing is that I’m not even that bothered about the rest of it.” He held up one palm and peered at the barely visible line there that was all that was left from the blood magic worked to bring Xander home. “I’m worried about falling off my broom and accidentally killing the rest of you if I snap my neck and everything, but the bonding and stuff is a bit of a waste of time as far as I’m concerned. You, Harry and me would always have been together anyway and Ginny’s my sister so that takes care of that. Dawn, Connor and Kit, well, we’ve all been through a lot together and even Draco’s become almost bearable so it’s not that much of a hardship having to see them on a regular basis for the rest of my life.” A huge sigh inflated Ron’s chest. “I just can’t seem to believe that I’m never going to have the quiet times again.”

Hermione studied the palm of her own hand for a moment and then lowered it slowly to her side. “I wouldn’t worry about any of us accidentally killing each other if I were you, Ron. We all healed much faster than we should of done after the… the…bonding…” Hermione swallowed hard and gamely continued. “I think we’ll be a lot harder to kill than we used to be. And if Mr Giles was right about how we were behaving in the hall then I think we’re developing some sort of mind thingy that will probably work in our favour, a sort of early warning system to help protect us.”

Ron stared at Hermione’s earnest face and then smiled widely. “Mind THINGY? Hermione Granger just used the words ‘mind thingy’ to describe what’s happening to us? Are we sure the apocalypse isn’t already here?”

Hermione immediately adopted the exasperated expression she had been wearing ever since the day she had come across two skinny boys on a train on their first day at school. “Shut up, Ron.” She glared at her boyfriend as he started to laugh and then rolled onto her back to watch the stars play hide and seek behind gathering heavy clouds. “I can’t see my life without you and Harry in it, you know.” Her quiet words effectively silenced Ron and Hermione smiled as she felt his eyes fix curiously on her face. “I know I don’t really say anything or show you but you two mean the world to me and I don’t think I could carry on without you. I haven’t ever really told you about before I met you but even when I went to muggle school I still didn’t fit in with the other children. I was always too brainy or too plain or just, well, too ME to really fit in with them. You and Harry were the first friends I ever really had.” Hermione’s breath left her in a soft sigh and she turned her head to meet Ron’s grave eyes. “Even my parents never really knew what to do with me, I think they were relieved when the letter from Hogwarts arrived just so they had something they could blame for the way I was. When I came here and met you and Harry, even though we didn’t exactly hit it off straight away, it was such a relief to find that there were other people like me and then after the troll, when we became friends, it was more magical than any spell we were taught when you both accepted me for who I am without trying to change me or do anything more than just take the mickey sometimes.”

Hesitantly Hermione’s hand rose and she eased towards Ron’s face, pausing for a moment to wait for an objection, and then cupped her palm against his cheek. “We’ve built what we have on quiet times and some very noisy ones but what we have is definitely ours alone, Ron. I’ll walk away from Hogwarts and the prophesy if you want me to and I’ll build our own Burrow where I can get fat and have lots of children and drive you insane with worry over where the next meal is coming from and then in ten or fifteen years we can look back and laugh when we’re sipping tea in front of our fire and talk about how we used to save the world and fight demons and then we can put all our memories away and go to our sagging bed and sleep the night away in each other’s arms.”

Ron blinked at her and then turned his cheek into her hand. “You’d do all that for me?”

“Yes.” Hermione smiled and then frowned guiltily. “Except for the getting fat part. And the staying at home and having lots of children part. Maybe one or two and you get to stay at home and I’ll worry about where the next meal is coming from, I think that’s fair.”

Ron blinked again, studied Hermione’s earnest brown eyes and mentally kissed goodbye to any hope of quiet nights by his fireside with threadbare slippers and equally threadbare hair. “I’m only surprised you don’t have me popping the little rugrats out, Herm.” He turned away from her hand and then before she could pull back, reached out and tugged her into his arms and into his warmth. “Is this what you really want? Is it really fair to ask us to give up our own quiet so that everyone else gets to have theirs?”

Hermione snuggled closer as she waved goodbye to her own hopes and dreams and then rubbed her cheek against Ron’s chest as she settled down beside him. “No, it’s not fair, but yes I want this. Just you Ron, everything else will work out in its own time.” She turned her head to press a kiss to the bottom of Ron’s throat and then they just lay quietly and watched the stars in place of the firelight that might never come.


	42. Chapter Thirty-Five B

Harry stepped back into the abandoned farmhouse that was the Eight’s temporary headquarters an hour after being dismissed by Connor and pondered privately that brooding in tortured angst under a full moon in the middle of the night sounded a lot more romantic in theory than it was in toe-freezing, breath-stealing reality.

He’d stood for what seemed like days leaning up against the brick wall of the farmhouse and stared with tormented green eyes into the night sky as he held himself rigid in his thick robes and then was forced to seek out protection from the frigid December weather when his nose started to drip and he couldn’t see past the clouds of frozen breath hanging around his head any longer.

Harry paused briefly outside the living room and peered inside to see Connor holding a sleeping Dawn on one of the couches and then turned and headed for the kitchen, hoping that Kit was still upstairs and occupying whatever bedroom she had gone off to commandeer earlier and he wouldn’t have to face her just yet. A sigh of grateful relief escaped him as he entered the small, homey kitchen and warm air beat against his frozen face and then he scowled as the figure that was seated at the table in the centre of the room looked up and Draco scowled back.

The two boys eyed each other for a moment and then Draco returned his eyes to the steaming cup he had clasped in shivering hands. “You lasted longer than I did. Had to give up the anguished hero routine when I ended up with an icicle hanging off my nose. There’s more tea on the stove if you need it.”

Harry’s eyebrows went up at the unexpected offer and then he was moving towards the cooker and the kettle sitting there. “Thanks.”

Draco shrugged. “There’s no milk, had to make do with some congealed honey. If I’ve got to suffer I don’t see why you shouldn’t.”

Harry snorted as he found the pot of suspect honey and wiped out a dusty mug that he retrieved from a nearby shelf. Silence fell again as he poured out the slightly stewed tea and added a liberal spoonful of honey and then Harry hovered uncertainly before crossing to the table and taking the seat opposite Draco and taking a sip of his tea. “Yuck.”

“I went with ‘fuck.’” Draco took another disgusted swig of his own tea and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “You’re such a goody-goody.”

Harry glared and then smirked. “Yeah, well I’m not the only saviour sitting in this room now, am I?” He clunked his mug companionably against Draco’s. “Takes one to know one.”

Draco shook his head and then scrubbed one slightly shaking hand over his white face, as he tried for words to express his disgust and horror at being an official good guy. “Fuck me!” Silver eyes narrowed as Harry choked on his tea. “That wasn’t an invitation, Potter.” His mouth twitched as Harry continued to splutter and he leaned back in his chair to look intently at the table before appearing to reach an internal decision. “Do you remember the day we met?”

Harry, still choking and dribbling tea, wiped the back of his mouth and nodded in surprise. “Of course. Madam Malkin’s.”

“Right. You were the first person I’d met that would be going to Hogwarts outside of Lucius and Narcissa’s circle, and the first person I’d ever met that wasn’t assumed to be a future Slytherin.” A wry smile pulled at the corners of Draco’s mouth. “And I saw nothing in you that led me to believe any of the other houses would be worth a damn. So small and skinny, so nervous and so determined to be polite.” The wry smile turned into a wide grin at the look of outrage on Harry’s face. “Oh come on, Potter, it’s not like you took one look at me and thought that there’s a boy you want on your Christmas card list.”

“I thought you were a right prat.” Harry put his tea on the table and remembered back to that morning all those years ago. “I thought you were snobby, selfish, rude…”

Draco laughed. “Come, come, Potter; don’t hold back, tell me what you really thought.” He shoved his own mug aside and folded his arms on the table as he cocked his head speculatively. “We got off to a bloody awful start.”

Harry grunted. “Yeah, well the middle wasn’t too brilliant either.” He folded his own arms and glared defiantly at Draco. “And I still think you’re all those things and more.”

“I should bloody well hope so. I’ve worked long and hard to get this unpleasant and I hate to think it had all been a waste of time.” Draco stared at Harry for long enough to make the dark-haired boy start shifting uncomfortably in place and then smiled ruefully. “I don’t honestly think I can ever learn to really like you.” He held up a hand as Harry flushed angrily. “Let me finish, I may never be in the frame of mind to say this again and I think it’s important.” Harry paused and then subsided with an annoyed grunt. “I don’t think I can like you, but I think I admire you a great deal. You and Weasley. It’s been hard all these years, playing Mordred to your Merlin, y’know. Even in my own house there were some that couldn’t help but like the bloody great white light that was you and your two supercilious friends and I learned to hate all your names long before we’d even reached our first Christmas at school.”

Harry snarled. “We weren’t too fond of you either. Pillock.”

Draco heroically resisted the urge to tip the remains of his tea over Harry’s bristling head and went on speaking in a low voice. “The years went by and I’d love to tell you that I started to feel drawn to you all, admiring of your exploits, but mainly I was so bloody angry and jealous that you pulled the stunts you did and still sodding managed to come out of it with everyone loving you and thinking you walked on water.” He darted an almost shy look at Harry and shrugged ruefully. “I’ve gathered a fair amount of information on what your home life was like these last few months and I know it wasn’t the greatest, but you managed to fuck up mine beyond belief from the minute I stepped onto the train for Hogwarts. Every bloody time I went home, I had to sit through hours and hours of ranting by my parents and assorted hangers on over what you’d been up to and why didn’t I know, why didn’t I report back to them?” Draco pushed the palms of his hands into his eyes sockets as though trying to physically scrub out his memories. “Why didn’t I stop you? Merlin, for half a knut I’d have gladly killed you myself at times if I could have been sure I wouldn’t have been caught.”

“Great.” Harry eyed the bowed head and surprised himself by feeling a pang of sympathy at the bitter confession. “Just what I always wanted in someone who would be watching my back in a fight.”

“Oh please, like you ever felt any different.” Draco dropped his hands and flashed an utterly charming, and understanding, grin. “You and Weasley all but threw a party that day Granger walloped me in our third year. And let’s not forget the bouncing rodent incident.”

Harry couldn’t help the snigger that escaped him. “Those were the good old days alright.” His shoulders started to shake as he thought of another fond memory. “My personal favourite is when you, Crabbe and Goyle got hit with all those curses on the train after…after Cedric.”

“After Cedric.” Draco repeated Harry’s words and all the mirth bled from his face. “That’s when it all started to go wrong for me, I think. Nothing really brings it home to you that your family and all their friends are evil bastards than the killing of a school mate.” He leaned back in his chair and stared blankly at the ceiling. “There was a party, you know. They threw a party at my house, my home, to celebrate the return of that thing and the fact that a seventeen-year-old boy lost his life. Of course they were all pretty pissed off it wasn’t you, but they still drunk themselves stupid for three days and had a ball kicking the house-elves around the old homestead because they’d managed to bring their great leader back.”

“God…” Harry fought back the bile rising in his throat at Draco’s words. “I never thought…I mean, I always assumed…” His hand slammed down on the table, making both boys jump. “How could they do that?”

Draco shrugged. “How could they not? Dumbledore’s side always celebrated their victories, didn’t they? Just because the other side is evil doesn’t mean they don’t know how to throw a party.” He snorted. “Actually, now I come to think about it, their parties were actually better. Probably one of the perks of the whole evil thing.”

Harry eyed Draco dubiously and put aside his outrage for a moment at the way Cedric’s death had been celebrated by Voldemort’s forces. “And I’m meant to believe that you had this sudden burning desire to do the right thing after what happened? I don’t exactly remember you falling over yourself to help us when Dumbledore wasn’t at Hogwarts and Umbridge was in charge.” He pointed an accusing finger at Draco. “In fact, the way I remember it, you were so busy marching around the school and giving out your little punishments, there was precious little evidence of anything but a big power trip going on.”

“Oh please, I said I started to have moral concerns about my station in life, not that I was ready to go rushing out and sacrifice myself on the altar you, Granger and Weasley were hogging so manically.” Draco propped his hands under his chin and stared dreamily into space. “You hit the nail on the head though; it was all about the power. Four years I had to put up with you and your lot lording it over the rest of us and then Umbridge came along and suddenly the boot was on the other foot. Now that was a good time to be me.”

Harry couldn’t help it, he started to laugh at the look of profound pleasure on Draco’s face and found he couldn’t stop. “God, I hate you!” He rocked backwards and forwards as Draco cocked an inquisitive eyebrow and then started to chuckle companionably along with Harry without knowing why. “I really, really hate you.”

“The feeling’s mutual, four-eyes.” Draco started to laugh harder. “Why are we laughing?”

Harry wiped at his streaming eyes and shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s just you…and power…and now we have the power…”

“And no fucking clue what to do with it.” Draco started to lose his breath. “And… we hate each…other…and we’re stuck…together!” They sat together, howling with bitter laughter and with tears streaming down their faces for a long time before finally, and with a lot of effort, they managed to bring themselves under control. Draco, still hiccupping slightly, wiped his face and sucked in much needed oxygen. “I don’t want this, I never wanted this. I don’t want to be responsible for a whole world.” He giggled hysterically. “I always wanted power, but not this much.”

Harry gasped for breath and snatched off his glasses to clean off the smears on the lenses from his much-needed release of tension. He concentrated on wiping the glass clean for a moment and then raised grave green eyes to Draco’s flushed face. “So what now? Are you still leaving?”

“I…don’t know.” Draco turned his face from Harry’s and stared towards the fire. “I want to, badly, like I’ve never wanted anything before in my life.” His shoulders rose and fell in a massive sigh. “But I don’t know if I can. These last few months with the rest of you, it felt ok.” Harry watched as Draco’s profile twitched in a small deprecating smile. “I mean, not happy exactly, but nearer to it than anything I’ve ever had before. Even though I’ve lost everything that mattered to me, I wanted to try and fit in, to make things work.”

Harry nodded slowly. “You did. We did.” He avoided Draco’s eyes as the other boy glanced at him in surprise and turned his own face to the fire. “I know that it hasn’t been easy but I think we’ve done ok.”

“Yes, I suppose we have.” Draco pulled his robes tightly around him and shivered in a sudden draft. “I just don’t understand how this is going to continue working now that we know it all. Basic feelings haven’t changed between any of us, I respect you and Weasley, even trust you up to a point, but I still can’t get past the fact that I can’t find anything in you to genuinely like.”

“Maybe we’re not meant to, maybe that’s our strength.” Harry tucked his own chilly hands out of sight in his robes and wished fervently he’d thought to wear a thicker sweater before leaving the school. “I mean, Angel and Spike don’t really like each other, do they? They seem to work with each other all right.”

“Because they still have things in common, Potter. They’ve got people they care very deeply about that love both of them.” Draco seemed to shrink into himself. “Real feelings and emotions.”

Harry stayed silent for a long time as he considered Draco’s words, his eyes dancing with the firelight as he thought and then he smiled to himself. “Dislike is as much a real emotion as love, Draco. Maybe more certain as it can’t be faked as easily. If this was just you, me and Ron I’d say we wouldn’t have a prayer of it working, but it’s not just us. I care deeply about Connor, Dawn and Kit and I know you do. Maybe all we need to hold onto is that we both want to keep our loved ones alive and that we need each other to do it. That might be enough to get us through.”

“Maybe.” Draco still refused to look at Harry as he finally spoke his deepest fears aloud. “But what if even that’s not real? What if even Angel and Cordelia taking me in is all just another part of this mess and what I feel for Connor and the others isn’t me? What if I can’t feel how I do without the prophecy helping me? Merlin knows, I’ve never felt this strongly about family before.”

Harry couldn’t help it, he laughed. “Well are you surprised? For God’s sake, Draco, even I can see this is the first time you’ve been part of a proper family. Of course this is the first time you’ve felt like this.” He sobered as he looked into Draco’s outraged eyes. “Look, I don’t talk about when I was growing up very often, but you saw my aunt that day in court. Ok, I got the occasional thump and kick but the worst times for me, the ones that hurt the most, were when they ignored me or when they put me down with the endless insults and remarks. When I saw Ron’s mum and dad for the first time it felt like it was a dream because I didn’t know families could be like that and neither did you. The Weasleys and Angel might not have the money or the social standing that the Malfoys and the Dursleys have but they don’t need it because they’ve got something better. When Angel saw that tattoo on your back on Christmas morning I thought he was going to explode you made him so happy. Whatever else may or may not be real about all this, his love for you and Connor is set in stone and I’m betting he won’t give a toss about your power or saving the world if you say you don’t want to do it, mate.”

Draco stared silently at Harry and then felt a small part of the burden on his heart crumble away. “No, he won’t, will he? Angel won’t care.” He licked his lips nervously before clearing his throat. “When you said we had people in common we cared about, you left someone out. Ginny. I care about her as well.”

“And is that real?” Harry realised he was holding his breath as he waited for Draco’s reply, hoping that it would maybe hold the answers to his own mixed feelings over Kit. “Do you…do you love her?”

“I don’t know. I want her, but I don’t know if I love her.” Draco sighed and fisted his hands on the table before shrugging in frustration. “I see things in Ginny that I’ve never seen in anyone before. I know she’s good and kind but I also know there’s a capacity for pettiness and spite in her that is enough to impress even my innate meanness. I find myself twisting through hoops every day just so she’ll pause, even for just a second, to look at me and give me one of her smiles that make me stupid with lust, but I don’t know whether that’s love.” He shrugged again. “Certainly I’ve never been this way about anyone else before.”

“But is it enough?” Harry’s whispered question was not only directed to Draco but also to himself. “We’re not even out of school and we’ve already found the people that we’re going to spend the rest of our lives with. If we go back tomorrow, and the girls come back with us, then that’s it; all our choices are gone forever.”

“It’s a big risk.” Draco’s face twisted with bitterness and was made ugly in the dying firelight. “And we don’t know that we could even find someone else if we rejected the idea of the Eight now. Maybe we’re only designed to be with each other and any attempt to form a connection with anyone else would be disastrous.”

“Connor and Dawn have made it work.” Harry blinked tired eyes as he thought of his friends, asleep in each other’s arms down the hall. “They’re together and they’re happy.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “I don’t know whether you’ve noticed this, Potter, but my brother is the very definition of the word simplistic. He’s happy because it’s quite simply never occurred to him that there’s anything else out there but his precious Dawn and she’s been raised all her life to believe in soul mates and eternal love.

“Connor and Dawn’s world comes in two colours when it relates to emotions, black and white, and they would be absolutely astounded if told there are unlimited shades of grey.” A dismissive hand sliced through the air. “For all Dawn’s anger and bitterness tonight, she’ll be going back tomorrow with Connor because she’ll never believe she has any other choice but to be with her mate and save the world and she can’t betray her innate sense of responsibility. Despite all the horrors that they’ve seen, they’re children compared to you and I and they always will be. The world they inhabit is filled with the all conquering power of love and the strong true hearts of worthy companions beating alongside their own.” A harsh bark of laughter exploded into the increasingly frigid air of the kitchen. “It’s never going to occur to them that some of the worthy companions are so bloody terrified and furious at their fate that its doubtful they can walk straight let alone fight to save the world.”

Harry swallowed and looked into Draco’s eyes as he whispered the shameful words that had been aching to leave his throat all night. “I don’t think I can do this.”

Draco looked back and whispered his own confession. “I know. Me either.” And they sat and watched the flames die in the fireplace until nothing was left but the cold and the dark.

  
  
  


* * *

It was nearly two hours later when Draco and Harry finally worked up the nerve to leave the kitchen and went in search of their alleged soul mates. A brief glance in the living room revealed a wide awake Connor still cradling a snoring Dawn and he flashed them a brief grin before they withdrew and went up the stairs to the sleeping quarters of the house. The first room they tried was revealed to be a baby’s nursery and Harry hurriedly shut the door on the reminder of what they were considering abandoning and moved on to the next bedroom. He peered inside the gloom for a moment before stepping back and gesturing to Draco. “It’s Gin, Kit’s not with her.”

“She’s next door, Harry.” Ginny smiled weakly as both boys jumped when she appeared in the doorway, wrapped in a blanket. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Right.” Harry stared blankly at Ginny and then at Draco. “Right.” He squared his shoulders. “I’ll go and see her then.” He didn’t move.

“Potter, unless you can suddenly see through walls, you actually have to move, you halfwit.” Draco cocked an eyebrow mockingly and clarified with a jerk of his head towards the next bedroom along. “Away from here.” He smirked as Harry glared and reluctantly moved away. Ginny and Draco watched as he took another deep breath, slipping inside after a hesitant knock at the door and then faced each other uncertainly. “I think we need to talk.” Draco licked his lips and watched as Ginny’s face turned away at his words but she nodded and stepped back to allow him to follow her into the room and shut the door behind them.

“There’s another blanket on the bed if you’re cold.” Ginny shuffled down one side of the double bed that dominated the room and curled up in a tight ball against some pillows. “I didn’t feel like lighting a fire.”

“Thanks.” Draco glanced through the window that Ginny was staring out of and looked up at the sky as he pulled the blanket off the bed. “Anything interesting out there?”

“No easy answers if that’s what you mean.” Ginny curled into herself further under the blankets until all Draco could see was two eyes and a strip of dull hair falling against her cheek. “I’ve been trying to work out what to do and what to feel but I just keep thinking silly things like how pretty the moon is and how worried my mum must be.”

Draco pulled his blanket tightly around himself and perched on the end of the bed. “Think yourself lucky, I’ve been downstairs bonding with Potter and drinking foul tasting tea.” He shuddered. “I don’t know what was more upsetting.”

A smile flickered over Ginny’s face and then she turned towards the window, deliberately avoiding his eyes. “When are you leaving?” She felt the jolt in the bed as Draco flinched in surprise and closed her eyes wearily. “I know you won’t stay, Draco, it’s alright, I understand.”

He thought of denying it, but in the end found he couldn’t. “I’m sorry.” Helplessly Draco stared around the room looking for inspiration. “This is just too much, all of it. I can’t give myself over to this and lose what little of myself I have left.”

Ginny laughed a little bitterly. “It’s funny, but that’s not what I keep seeing when I think about all this. I don’t think I’m losing myself, I think I’m finally becoming what I should be.” She huddled further down into her blankets. “I quite like the idea of being a part of something larger than me, always belonging somewhere and being needed.”

“How can you say that?” Draco, irrationally angry, jumped to his feet and began to pace up and down in the limited space afforded to him. “This…this…THING has made you do things and behave in ways that are completely alien to your nature.” He spun in a swirl of blankets and robes and kicked the shabby looking chest of drawers tucked into the corner beside the door. “It made you want me for fucks sake!”

Ginny shook her head and frowned. “No it didn’t, you did that all on your own.” She shrugged as Draco’s mouth fell open in denial. “Weren’t you listening downstairs to Connor? There was any number of ways that we could have chosen who we were attracted to and how we acted on that. You were the one I wanted, Draco; you have been for quite a while.”

“I tried to RAPE you.” Hanging onto his denial by the skin of his teeth and determined to do everything he could to shove her away before he himself was rejected, Draco drew himself up to his full height and loomed as threateningly as he could whilst wrapped in a pink woolly blanket festooned with a variety of flowers. “What kind of twisted bitch starts to fancy the bloke that tries to rape her?”

“Me apparently.” Coolly Ginny eyed Draco up and down and then huffed an impatient sigh. “And you did not try to rape me, I got over using that as an excuse not to trust my feelings for you a long time ago and I think it’s incredibly cowardly of you to start using it again now.” She sniffed in annoyance. “And don’t use that kind of language with me, ok? I know you’re frightened and confused by all this but just remember I’m in the same boat you are.”

“I am NOT frightened.” Draco, starting to shake like a leaf, extracted one hand to point a finger at Ginny threateningly. “Stop treating me like a fucking child.”

“Then stop acting like one!” Ginny pushed herself up onto her knees and her blanket puddle onto the bed around her. “If you’re leaving, just stop bloody shouting at me and go, I don’t care!”

“I KNOW!” The pretty pink blanket dropped to the floor and the next thing Draco knew he was kneeling on the bed and shaking Ginny’s thin body back and forth. “I KNOW YOU DON’T.” A hiss and the narrowing of Ginny’s eyes was the only warning Draco received before she wrenched herself free and slapped his screaming face with every bit of momentum she had in her precarious position. A shocked silence fell between the two combatants for a split second and then Draco was snarling and shoving Ginny down on the bed, pulling at her clothes and swearing foully as she tugged at his hair, punched his body and generally did as much damage as she possibly could as he tried to pin her to the mattress. “Not real…none of it…fucking real…” Draco cursed again as Ginny bit down hard on his lip when he tried to capture her mouth in a vicious kiss and blood began to drip down his chin.

“Bastard.” Ginny, more furious than she could ever remember being in her entire life, tossed her head and laughed wildly at Draco’s howl when she connected with a sharp crack to his nose. “Bloody coward!”

“Bitch, fucking lying bitch.” Draco wrapped a hand in Ginny’s long hair and tugged her head back as he bit down on the muscle between her neck and shoulder. “Should have left you to die…” His howl was muffled against her skin as Ginny bucked and slammed her groin into his, sending lightening sparks of angry arousal shooting through his body. “GINNY!”

Ginny twisted feverishly beneath him and honestly didn’t know if she wanted to kill him or drown in the heat that had burst up out of nowhere between them, but the one thing she was certain of was that she didn’t want to stop. She wrenched a hand free from his bruising grip and snatched at Draco’s short hair to wrench his head to the side and lay her own mark of claiming on his pale neck. “I hate you…” Her breath burst in harsh pants from her mouth as she felt her skirt ride up thanks to the thrashing of their bodies. “You’re leaving me and I hate you so much.”

Hot tears began to leak from Draco’s eyes as the pain of Ginny’s sharp teeth at his throat registered and he pulled away with a muffled shout. “I know, I know.” He forced her hand away from his head, ripping a few hairs out along the way, and forced her to lie still as he returned to licking and biting her skin. “I hate you too, so much, Ginny.” Buttons popped as he ripped at the neck of her shit and bared her chest to the top of her bra, small creamy swells of flesh rising and falling in time with desperate breaths. Draco bent his mouth to her and began to trace the curves, tears falling faster now as he breathed in the scent of her sweat and arousal. “I wanted you to be real.”

“I am, I swear it.” Ginny cried out as his tongue stroked roughly over her and tore at the neck of Draco’s robes and shirt until she had bared his shoulders and was able to press her hands over his flesh and smear a mix of their sweat over his tattoo. Tears fell down her face and into her hair as she shook her head backwards and forwards against the pillow, fighting against the rough pleasure that had them both helpless on the bed. “This is real, this is real, this is real….”

She bit back a scream as his teeth sank into her breast and her nails broke the skin on his back. “It wouldn’t hurt so much if it wasn’t, Draco.”

He sobbed open mouthed against her skin and licked at the marked flesh that bore the imprint of his teeth. “It does, it hurts…” As quickly as it had arisen the storm abated and his hands raced over her suddenly pliant body, gentling as he realised she was no longer shaking with fury and hate but with longing and sadness. “This is killing me, Ginny.”

Ginny wept as his hands began to stroke and pet and she wrapped slender arms around his head to cradle him protectively to her body when he began to shudder with sobs in the darkness. “I don’t want you to go; I don’t want to lose you.” She ran tender hands through his hair, soothing the throbbing patches where his hair had been tugged free. “I want you with me so much, Draco. Only you.” Both of them heaving with fear and misplaced desire, they curled together on the bed and took comfort from each other’s warmth for a long time until finally the shudders ceased and the only movement was the rise and fall of their chests and Ginny’s hands through Draco’s hair. She stared up at the ceiling of the borrowed bedroom for a long time, watching the moonlight play across the cracked and peeling plaster and then pressed a pleading, desperate kiss to the top of Draco’s head where it lay on her bared flesh as she surrendered her soul. “I love you.”

“I know.” Draco listened to her heart under his cheek and felt his own slip seamlessly into time to match the steady, honest beats. “I know.” He turned his head to press his lips to the skin that sheltered Ginny’s heart and whispered almost silently against her damp flesh, “Stay. Be real.”

Ginny heard the words he didn’t say and smiled into the darkness, content for now. “Always.”

  
  



	43. Chapter Thirty-Six

Harry and Kit were seated on twin beds facing each other, the room gently lit by candles that Kit had found in a chest under the wide window, and both were crimson with embarrassment as they listened to the shouts and creaking of the bed from where Draco and Ginny were having their showdown. Harry had made an abortive move to go to Ginny’s aid when the first yell rang out but Kit shook her head and pushed him gently back down. “Connor will be listening; he’ll stop it if it gets out of hand.” She smiled slightly. “This is nothing compared to some of Buffy and Spike’s fights. Spike even told me they made a house fall down on them once.”

Harry gave a strangled cough as he heard a muffled scream from Ginny and realised it wasn’t entirely inspired by anger or pain. “Right. I, er, suppose they have a lot to talk about.”

Kit looked up from where she was petting a child’s abandoned teddy bear, the magical toy growling softly under her fingertips, and stared at her boyfriend. “I suppose we all do.”

“No, not really.” Harry tried desperately not to hear the squeaking of the bed next door and forced himself to look into Kit’s brown eyes. “I’m not going back. I’m leaving.”

“Oh.” Kit swallowed and hoped she didn’t look as surprised as she felt. “I see. I guess…”

“I want you to come with me.” Harry clenched his hands tightly on his thighs and made himself finish what he wanted to say, sure that if he could just get Kit to choose him and not his alternate persona of ‘boy-that-lived’ he would be alright. “I’m going to talk to Angel and Buffy tomorrow and ask them to help me get away and I want you to come with me. I want to forget about Voldemort and the prophecy and try and build a new life.” He stared at Kit’s stunned face and shrugged. “Connor said to say what we wanted and that’s what I want.”

“What about Ron and Hermione?” Kit dragged her tongue over dry lips and blinked at Harry in the flickering candlelight. “All your friends?”

Harry shrugged again and wondered why in the world he was sweating when he could see his own breath freeze in the air when it left his mouth. “They’ll be ok, it’s not like we won’t see each other again, we just won’t be part of the Eight anymore. Will you do it?”

Kit stared at him for a moment and then scooted back on the bed until she could rest her back against the wall. “You know there was a really pretty verse from the Bible that Giles read me once, after Dawn left to come here. I was pretty down about her going and feeling a bit lost in the scheme of things and Giles sat down with me while we were all researching one night and passed me a slip of paper.” She smiled softly to herself as she remembered the familiarity of research night at the Magic Box and the feeling of acceptance she had always found there and ignored the look of confusion on Harry’s face. “He said that not long after he became a Watcher he was having some major doubts and then one day he came across this verse when he was working in their library.”

Kit’s eyes drifted shut as she tilted her head back against the wall and began to speak. “’Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodge, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.’” Her eyes opened and Kit looked deep into Harry’s shuttered eyes. “He told me that although being the leader is pretty wonderful; being the follower is special too and that sometimes all you can do is trust the person in front of you to know the way and believe that the trust you have in them will be rewarded. I never thought that I’d have that trust in anyone but the Scoobs, but I’ve got it in you, Harry. I’ve followed Buffy into some pretty hairy situations, been scared witless most of the time, but I did it and the only reason I could do it is because I trusted her like I do.”

Kit sighed heavily. “Before I met Dawn, I never really had any loyalty to anything or anyone and then, after I found out that I lived on the Hellmouth, I gave everything I had to the Slayer and her cause without thinking about it because it was the right thing to do. I just never thought that I’d find someone else that made me want to give everything to them as well. Harry, do you love me?”

Harry flinched back. “Wh…What?”

“It’s not a difficult question.” Kit shoved her shaking hands under her equally trembling thighs. “Kind of a yes or no answer. Do you love me?”

“That’s not fair. You can’t ask me that.” Harry fought the urge to run screaming from the room and jump on the nearest broomstick. “You can’t just ask me…”

“Well, actually I think I can. You’re asking me to give up everything I am and all the people I love for you.” Kit licked her lips nervously and wondered what she’d do if the answer was yes. “The least you can do is to tell me how you feel about me.”

“I…” Harry jumped to his feet and shoved his hands through his hair in bewilderment. “I barely know you, you can’t expect me to just declare my love for you when we’ve barely even kissed.”

“Right. But you expect me to run off into the sunset with you and live on…what, lust alone?” Kit shook her head. “Not good enough, Harry.”

“Oh there’s a big surprise.” Harry dropped his hands and glared at Kit as she sat staring up at him on the bed. “I’ve never really been good for anything aside from sorting out the occasional dark wizard problem, why the bloody hell should I suddenly be good enough for my own girlfriend?”

Kit snorted cruelly. “Oh here we go; I wondered when the pity party would finally get started.” She held up a hand as Harry started to speak and shook her head. “If this is just going to be another rousing rendition of the ‘You Don’t Know How I’ve Suffered Song’ then you can spare me, ok? I’ve had about as much as I can take of that particular tune.”

“You don’t know anything!” Flushed with outrage and passion, Harry’s fists clenched at his side as he fought the urge to strike out. “You’re not the one that’s slated to finally put the dagger in bloody Voldemort’s heart, are you? This isn’t the first prophecy that I’ve been mixed up in but it’s going to be the sodding last!”

“What are you talking about?” Kit frowned in confusion and grabbed at Harry’s arm as he turned to storm out. “Don’t you dare walk out on me after dropping something like that. What prophecy, what are you talking about?”

“DUMBLEDORE TOLD ME!” Panting heavily, Harry wrenched his arm away from Kit and pushed her away from him. “The reason my parents died, the reason I have to go about with this bloody mark on my head and why I can’t have a normal life is that some stupid old bat had a vision or tapped into the future and she saw me. ME. I’m the one that’s meant to kill Voldemort, and I won’t bloody do it. I’m sick and tired of always fighting and killing and it never stopping. I won’t kill him, I won’t.”

Kit stared into his wild green eyes and nodded slowly. “Ok. Good to know.” She reached out and hesitantly touched Harry’s rigid arm. “So we won’t kill him. We don’t have to do that, Harry.”

“Right, what do you suggest as an alternative?” In a voice dripping with sarcasm, Harry snorted and folded his arms defensively across his chest. “Confiscate his wand and ask him nicely to go into retirement? Yes, I can see that working.”

“Of course not.” Exasperated Kit shook her head. “But you’re thinking in such rigid terms. The prophecy said something about shaping worlds, right? Dawn has that power. Ok, so she’s not that hot with the portalling at the moment, but maybe she needs us to channel her power or ground her until she learns to do it for herself. Maybe that’s the whole point of the Eight. We don’t have to kill him, Harry; we could just send him somewhere. That would work, right?” Excited now, Kit’s hands flew through the air to punctuate her words as she thought things through. “Or we could hold him somehow and maybe one of the others could do it, Spike maybe. He wouldn’t mind.”

Harry’s jaw sagged incredulously. “Are you listening to yourself? You’re planning a murder of a human being. An old man.”

“An old man that killed one of my best friends and your parents and countless others.” Kit slapped her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I’m saying we should go out and slaughter Father Christmas.” She stopped short and cursed under her breath before flashing an embarrassed smile. “Bad example, pretend I said the Easter Bunny.”

“You’re seventeen years old and you’re planning a MURDER!” Harry gripped Kit’s shoulders and shook her as he stared into her wide brown eyes. “A human being will die because you made it happen; is that what you want to become?”

“No, of course not.” Kit gripped Harry’s wrists in her hands and held on tight. “But if it will save just one innocent life then I will. I’ll stab his black heart and laugh while I do it if it stops one more person going through what we all have because of that bastard. I’m the one without the power, remember? All I’ve got is the training I’ve had with you guys and Buffy, I’ll never match the rest of you in that way, but maybe that’s why I’m here. I’m as basic a human as you can get and I still know that that man has to be destroyed and you know it too. Get angry, hate the entire world, but get over this whole ‘poor me’ trip because you’re not the only one suffering here, Harry, we all are.” Kit studied Harry’s white face for another minute and then moved closer. “And for the record, I don’t love you, not the way I need to to give up everything for you.” She sucked in a fortifying breath and lifted her chin proudly. “But I think I could. There’s something there that I don’t feel for any of the others and I want to explore that along with saving the world if we have to. Do you?”

“I don’t love you either!” Harry cringed as the words were blurted out between them but found he couldn’t take them back. “I don’t know how.”

Kit’s face softened but her tone was no less intense when she finally replied. “So maybe it’ll turn out we can learn together. We’re only seventeen, we’ve got time.” A smile curved her mouth and her eyes shone as she stared up into his face. “We don’t have to kill anyone; we can be the first pacifist evil fighters in the history of the world. Take a chance, Harry. Make your own choices for a change, let’s turn this prophecy on its ass and do things our way.”

Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived, looked at Kit Horvath, muggle extraordinaire, and sighed in defeat and regret as he made his choice. “I hate this.” Kit nodded encouragingly. “I think I hate you a little bit as well.” Kit nodded again, but with markedly less enthusiasm. “But I’m going back to Hogwarts.”

Kit grinned. “Never doubted you for a second.” She planted a hard swift kiss on Harry’s unsmiling mouth. “Now let’s talk benevolent battle tactics.”

  
  
  


* * *

Connor felt the moment when Dawn woke up and squeezed her gently as she lay cuddled between his spread thighs. He kept one arm loosely over her waist and laid his other on top of her left arm so his hand covered hers and their commitment rings chinked softly together in the silence. “You know what I love about you the most?” He didn’t wait for, or expect, an answer, instead just turned his head so his cheek rubbed against her hair. “The quiet. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love you when you’re being snarky and kicking ass and I adore you when you’re wrapped around me and yelling in my ear when we’re naked but the times I love you most are when you just let me hold you and listen to you breathe.”

An all too rare gentle smile passed over Connor’s face as he felt Dawn’s body stiffen in surprise against him and he brushed a kiss over the shell of her ear. “Everyone else gets to see you kick butt and be all tough during the day but only I get to see you when you’re soft and warm when we hold each other. I’m the only one that gets to hear your heart slow or your breath deepen and no one else knows that you say my name when I stroke your hair when you fall asleep on me. Just my name, no one else’s and it’s totally cool that you’ve never done that with anyone else, that you wouldn’t think of doing that with anyone else.” Connor sighed happily and tightened his arm around Dawn’s waist. “Just me.”

“It’s always been just you, Connor.” Dawn stared blindly into the fire and then wriggled round until her face was pressed tightly up against her love’s neck and his arms wrapped around her back. “That’s what scares me. I want what I feel for you to be my choice, no one else’s.”

Connor let one hand drift up to stroke soothingly over Dawn’s hair and settled himself more comfortably into the cushions so Dawn slipped between his body and the back of the sofa. He threw one leg over the curve of her hip and satisfied that he was as wrapped around her as he was going to get, kissed the top of her head. “What makes you think it’s not?” The chest under Dawn’s cheek rumbled with laughter as he squeezed her affectionately. “I can see why you might have some doubts when it comes to the whole demon butt-kicking thing, let’s face it, the way we work together, there has to have been some Higher Power making sure we got together there.” He nuzzled her temple in reassurance as Dawn flinched at his words. “But when we’re just being Connor and Dawn, when we’re like this, nothing or no one could make me feel like this unless it was you. This is when we feel most real to me, when I know what we have is for us and not because we have to save the world.”

Connor waited for Dawn to say something and then sighed quietly to himself as she remained obstinately silent. “Do you remember the day we left London to come to Hogwarts, when you were scared that we couldn’t make it just being day-to-day Connor and Dawn?” Dawn nodded her head slowly against his chest. “Well, I was convinced that would be what saved us. Just you and me, arguing, laughing and just being able to do what everyone else gets to do anytime they feel like it. Being around each other all the time and just being us.”

Dawn swallowed the lump in her throat at Connor’s words and allowed herself to snuggle a little closer to him as she tried to explain how she felt. “Connor, I know you love me; God knows I love you too…” She broke off as Connor pressed an approving kiss to the top of her head. “But everyone I’ve ever cared about has had to love me because I got dumped on them because of what I am, not because of who I am. Not even my mom made the choice to have me the way she chose to have Buffy and I just don’t want to deal with the fact that I love you and you love me because it’s been foretold before we even met.”

“So you think this is some kind of Key and Destroyer thing, huh?” Connor scowled at the fire and promised himself some serious time with a punching bag when he’d allayed Dawn’s fears. Goddamn prophecies. “Dawn, that’s not who we are, not really. When it comes down to it, I’m just a seventeen-year-old kid who loves his seventeen-year-old girl. If you wanted me to I’d walk away from everything right now and never raise a hand to another demon as long as I lived as long as it meant I could stay with you. Forget saving the world and forget the Eight, you’re all I need to get by. I love you.”

“You’d give it all up for me?” Dawn raised her head to stare into Connor’s steady eyes and felt her heart begin to beat again. “Everything you are?”

“For the last time, that’s not who I am!” Connor shifted until he lay under Dawn and could grip her shoulders to hold her up and over him. “Yeah, I hunt demons and I save people but I do it because I choose to do it. I could just as easily choose not to and decide to go to college and be a…a …God, I don’t know, but I could be whoever I wanted to be. The humans could find another saviour and the world would just have to hold out for another warrior because no one makes me do anything I don’t want to do.” A lightening grin flashed across his face. “Let’s face it, there’s a whole room full of heroes somewhere up at the school and they’ve done pretty well on the saving the world front long before you and I showed up. We can be whoever we want to be and go wherever we want to go because it’s our lives and we’re in charge and no one is going to persuade me any differently, got it?”

Dawn blinked at his harsh tone. “What about the others?”

“What about them?” Connor relaxed his grip a little and pulled her down onto his chest. “They can choose to stay or they can choose to go. Hell, they can choose to come with us but I’m not running my life around what anyone else wants but us. This is the Dawn and Connor show, end of story.”

There was a long silence after Connor had finished speaking and he began to wonder if the gentle stroking of her hair had sent Dawn back to sleep before she stirred against him. “Anything we want to be?” She smiled slightly as Connor’s chin hit the top of her head in an emphatic nod. “I always wanted to be a personal shopper, y’know, just like Rachel in ‘Friends.’”

“Cool.” Connor grinned. “I could take voice lessons and go into the movies. I hear musicals are going to be making a comeback pretty soon. We could buy a place in the country and an apartment in LA and then when you’re not off wrecking stores and I’m not being, like, some really hot actor guy, we could just be mowing our lawn or doing lunch and just being us.” A sudden thought occurred and Connor snickered. “Maybe Draco could be a model or something; he’d really dig all the attention.”

Dawn gave a watery giggle. “He so would.” The laugh died in her throat and she pushed her face into the curve of Connor’s neck. “We’re not going to do that though, are we? We’re not going to be normal.”

“Nope.” Connor felt Dawn’s tears trickle down his neck and held her closer. “But that’s ok, ‘cos it’s our choice and anytime we feel like a change then we’re just gonna walk and damn everyone else to hell.”

“Been there, damned that.” Dawn brushed her lips over Connor’s pulse point and sighed. “Let’s keep the picket fence option in reserve though, ok?”

Connor nodded and squeezed Dawn until she wheezed in protest. “You got it. When the day comes that we decide we want more than what we have now, I’ll have you digging up weeds and making pot roast so fast your head will spin.”

Dawn blinked sore eyes and tried to stifle a yawn. “You promise?”

“Swear it.” Connor shifted until he was comfortable and Dawn lay lax between his spread thighs. “Go to sleep, baby, I’ll be here when you wake up, just like always.”

* * *

They gathered together an hour before sunrise, no one having slept especially well and none of them looking their best. The abandoned house they stood in creaked mournfully as though knowing it had only a few precious moments of occupancy left before it was left empty and hollow once more and the Eight found themselves standing in a tight circle staring into each other’s eyes waiting for someone else to make the first move..

Connor took a deep breath. “Ok, this is it, make or break time.” He reached for Dawn’s hand and gave her a gentle smile. “We talked and we reached a decision.” He let his eyes drift over the faces of the people that had become dearer to him than his own flesh and blood. “Make. We’re going back.”

Ron found himself nodding, not in the least surprised. “Me too.” He looked down into Hermione’s exhausted face and smiled. “I can’t leave it all behind.”

“Me either.” Hermione’s voice was husky with exhaustion and her eyes were red rimmed with more than tiredness but she still smiled as her hand found Ron’s. “I’m coming with you.”

“And me.” Draco’s voice was strong and steady, belying his earlier emotional outburst. He smiled down at Ginny clamped to his side, an act made much easier since his girlfriend had done some fast repair work with a healing spell and her wand, and tightened his arm around her. “I think I’ve come too far to wimp out now.” His eyes sought out Harry’s face almost apologetically and then he shrugged and looked back down at Ginny as she spoke up.

“I’m going too. I don’t want to walk away from this; from any of it.” She pressed her cheek to Draco’s chest and smiled secretively as she listened to his heartbeat again.

Kit and Harry weren’t touching like the others, but their body language was relaxed as they stood side by side. “We’re in.” Kit darted a look up at Harry but didn’t quite dare to reach for his hand as she smiled hesitantly. “Right, Harry?”

“Yes.” Harry nodded shortly and then tried to smile to take the edge from his next words. “Not a lot of point in starting out on your own to make your mark on the world if there isn’t going to be a world there to notice you, I suppose.”

Draco cocked his head and smirked. “You know, Potter, there are times when I could almost believe you’re an intelligent life form.” He grinned at Harry’s glare and blithely continued. “Not often, mind you, just sometimes.”

The solemn air that had surrounded them all since Dumbledore and their families had marched into their quarters the previous day was broken and a few stifled laughs sounded. Connor tugged Dawn close and pressed a kiss to her head. “Ok, so we’re going back, the next thing we need to discuss is the terms that we go back under.” His face hardened with resolve as his friends all looked at him in confusion. “We all made a choice here today, which is great, but if we’re going to do this thing then we’re going to do it our way. No more hiding what we are or who we are and definitely no more blindly following orders, agreed?” Hesitant nods answered him and Connor rolled his eyes. “Guys, if we’re going to save the goddamned world then I’m thinking that the world needs to sit up and realise that we want something back in return.”

Ron eyed Connor thoughtfully. “What did you have in mind?”

The Destroyer smiled wickedly and remembered an old song that was one of Lorne’s favourites. “People, the times they are a changin’.” His smile turned feral. “Whether they want to or not.”


	44. Chapter Thirty-Seven

The Eight took their time in returning to Hogwarts, partly because they were in no hurry to face their problems head on, but mainly because they were feeling selfish and miserable and had no problem with sharing the load around. Connor once again took charge to organise the girls all taking a bath, wands blurring with speed to heat up the water, while the boys patrolled the farm making sure they weren't discovered before they were ready and then the girls took over patrolling while the boys took their turn in getting clean. Hermione and Ginny worked silently together to conjure up a filling, but tasteless, breakfast of porridge and un-sweetened tea and then they sat down and for three hours discussed and established the conditions for their return to Hogwarts and the battle against Voldemort. When they had finally decided on a list of demands, morning was heading towards afternoon and it was only the disgruntled rumblings from all their stomachs that had them heading out into the overcast sky and flying back the school.

They returned to Hogwarts the same way they left it, and Connor was delighted to find that he could justifiably wreck a little havoc when he discovered the window they had left open had been closed and the only way to open it was to kick the glass in after several spells had tried and failed. All of his companions found a small smile at the happy look on his face as his boot shattered the glass and then they were all climbing into the boys' bedroom and sending their broomsticks flying off to the storage sheds. Bags were thrown carelessly to the floor before robes followed them and then Ron was moving out of the room and down the corridor to let his mother know they had returned. Dawn smiled briefly at Connor before going towards the door to see if any of their families were currently in the training room cum dormitory, but stopped short when Buffy, Spike, Angel and Cordelia hurried into the room with anxious looks on their drawn faces.

“Dawn, oh God, are you ok?” Buffy almost ran towards her sister with arms outstretched ready to hug and soothe. “We've been so worried.” She frowned as Dawn flung up a warding hand and stopped a few feet away from her sister. “Dawnie?”

“I'm sorry you were worried, Buffy, but just…not now, ok? After.” Dawn backed up a step and wrapped her arms around her waist, still unsettled and hurt by all that had been learned the previous day. “Not now.”

Angel's shrewd eyes moved over his sons and he was relieved that although they looked as tense as Dawn, neither were displaying the self-destructive anger that had sent them all fleeing the preceding day. “Draco, are you ok?”

Draco looked up from where he was intently studying the floor as he leaned against the wall, surprise showing on his face at being addressed before Connor and then he smiled tightly as he caught the look of concern in Angel's eyes. “Yes. Thank you.”

Connor grinned at Cordelia reassuringly and then once again took charge of his housemates. “We want to talk to you all downstairs; can you get the word out?” He glanced at Buffy and then at Spike. “We'd like Xander and Anya there as well if that's possible?”

Buffy's eyes darted nervously between her sister's pale face and Connor. “Everyone? Even Dumbledore?”

Connor's grin widened and he glanced around at his friends. “Oh yeah. Especially Dumbledore. He's gonna want to hear this.”

  
  
  


* * *

The common room was once again full to bursting, and the adults found themselves watching the Eight as they stood together by the window eating their way through plates of beef sandwiches sent up by the kitchens and silently staring out at the school grounds. Sara, Luca and Roberto had been sent down to the infirmary where Madam Pomfrey was watching over Anya and Xander's son while they attended the meeting called by Connor.

Ron swallowed the last bite of his lunch and glanced back over his shoulder at the tense room, his eyes settling for a moment on Professor Dumbledore standing on his own by the door. “Con, you ready?” He smiled briefly at Molly and Liz, seated side by side on one of the couches and then looked up at Professor Snape lurking behind them. “We should get on with it.”

“Ok.” Connor obligingly drained his mug of pumpkin juice and smiled reassuringly at his edgy friends. “Relax, I've got it all under control.” He turned to face the room and thus missed the transition of slight nervousness to outright alarm on his friend's faces. “We're ready and if anyone interrupts without permission before I finish, then we're walking out of here and this time we won't be back, is that clear?” Reluctant nods were given but there was no need to wait for silence to fall, as everyone had been waiting with baited breath for some sign from the teenagers that they were ready to start talking but Connor drew the moment out anyway. “We talked a lot last night and this morning and we've reached some decisions. If we stay here and continue to fight Voldemort then there are going to be conditions.” Hard blue eyes settled on Dumbledore for a moment and then Connor looked at Molly and Liz and smiled gently.

“We're all very grateful for everything you've done for us and everything you've given up, but you can't stay in these quarters anymore. It's not safe for either you or the children when we have no idea what's going to happen with our powers and how the prophecy will affect them. You have to leave.” Connor watched as both women started, but remembered his warning of leaving in time to stop themselves protesting verbally.

“You might also have problems with the new sleeping arrangements.” Connor glanced at Dumbledore again. “The girls' room is going to be converted into two separate rooms, with a double bed in each, that myself and Dawn and Ron and Hermione will occupy. We're the ones who have entered a committed relationship with each other, and we intend to live like it. The boys' dormitories will be separated into four small bedrooms which the others will occupy until they make a decision on the future of their own relationships. We expect the work to be completed by tomorrow night at the latest, but by tonight if it's possible.” Connor was aware he was enjoying himself way too much, but he couldn't stop the satisfied grin was spreading at the various looks on faces around the room ranging from proud to shocked to downright constipated. He resisted offering Snape some prunes to help with what looked like a painful condition and moved on.

“The next thing is that although we can't have Molly and Liz here any longer, we do need people we can count on that we know can help us with this.” Connor glared tellingly at Dumbledore again. “That isn't you.” He turned to where the two Watchers were standing quietly beside the fireplace. “Wes, I know how much Dad relies on you and how much you're needed in London, but we were wondering whether you'd consider staying here with us when the others go back and becoming our unofficial Watcher.” He caught the flicker of approval from Angel's face out of the corner of his eye, but made sure that most of his attention was focused on the quiet man with the livid scar on his throat, knowing how much his next words would mean to the still haunted Wesley. “We need someone we all trust, Wes. We need you.” Connor smiled mischievously. “You're allowed to speak, by the way.”

“I…” Wesley was mortified to find that his throat was closing over with emotion at the honest appeal in Connor's face, and the beseeching looks of the rest of the Eight. He turned to Angel and Cordelia. The vampire clapped him on the shoulder and squeezed as his eyes expressed all his faith in the younger man and forgiveness for old sins. Wesley nodded jerkily and then turned back to Connor. “I would be honoured.”

“Great.” Connor bounced happily on his toes and then turned to Snape. “We also know we need someone experienced in your world's kind of magic. We all voted on whom we would all trust from Hogwarts or the Ministry and it was unanimous. We'd be very grateful if you would agree to work with us.”

If Wesley was stunned, then Snape nearly went catatonic from shock. Although there was none of the pleading looks that had been directed at Wesley being sent his way, there was no mistaking the seriousness or implicit trust in the eight pairs of eyes focused on him. “Could have knocked me down with a feather as well, sir.” Draco smirked at the blank expression his former head of house wore, and shrugged his shoulders as he jerked his head at Harry. “It was also Potter's idea to put the cherry on the top of the cake.”

Professor Snape was seriously concerned for a moment that he was going to have a heart attack. He stared disbelievingly at Harry and blinked several times as he tried to speak. “Why?”

Harry folded his arms at the hoarse croak and pointedly avoided looking at Dumbledore. “You may not like us, but you've always been as brutally honest with us as you can. It's appreciated.”

Snape nodded slowly and then looked down as Liz gripped his hand in pleading fingers. He met her eyes and nodded. “Very well. I accept.”

“Great.” Connor turned to Xander and Anya. “We kind of figured that Anya would be staying here and we weren't sure what your plans were, Xander, but we'd like you to stay as well. We've got the mystical and magical covered with Wes and Professor Snape, but we'd like a little help on the physical stuff too. Dawn says that you've been helping out Buffy with training for years, and that you've got a lot of experience in putting together equipment that can stand up to a Slayer whaling on it. We'd like you onboard for this.”

Xander glanced at Buffy and Spike and received nods of approval before looking down at Anya snuggled into his side. “That okay with you, hon?”

Anya smiled radiantly. “Of course. I was not looking forward to caring for a squalling infant by myself.” She turned her head towards the Eight. “In my demonic form I am very strong and quick, for a negligible fee I would be willing to participate in your training sessions and assist you in honing your physical skills.” She looked around at her husband's muffled groan. “Xander, we now have a child to support and cannot afford to allow sentimental attachments to distract us from providing for our son's future. I'm sure Dawn and her friends understand that.”

Dawn exchanged amused looks with Kit. “We can work something out, Ahn.”

Anya nodded happily and shot a triumphant look at her mortified husband. “See? We happily accept your offer, children.”

“Great.” Connor clapped his hands together and rubbed them briskly before tilting an inquiring eyebrow at Harry and Ron to make sure they still wanted to go ahead with the next part of their plan. Both boys nodded and it seemed to be an unspoken signal for the Eight to draw into a lose battle formation behind Connor in moral support for his next statement. “That brings us to the last of it. If we're staying here then we want to participate as fully as we can in the usual school activities, some of us have worked long and hard towards getting qualifications and they want to see their efforts rewarded.” A disgusted look was shot towards Hermione and made it abundantly clear whose particular stipulation this was.

“However, the only time we come under the authority of the school or Professor Dumbledore from now on is in regards to our education. We will not, or do not, accept any more attempts from any of the faculty to interfere in the power or movements of the Eight and any attempt to do so on the faculty's part will mean that all of us will leave Hogwarts and cut off all ties with the school and anyone connected with it. Professor Snape was chosen to help us for many reasons, and we all are fully committed to following whatever suggestions or advice he has to offer, but he is the only one we are prepared to follow. Ron and Hermione will be talking to Willow before she goes and will be setting up a daily time for communications where we are kept informed of all developments in London and any other areas affected by Voldemort and we will do the same with our own research into our power. We all reserve the right to decide which battles to participate in and Kit's brought to our attention that there may be other possible ways to start using our power to end the war other than bloodshed and we would like the opportunity to test her theories in the field.”

Connor sucked in a deep breath and stared defiantly around the room as he delivered his final words. “And if at any time, any one of us wants to walk away and disband the Eight, then they do. No questions, no actions taken against them. They just walk.” He braced his legs apart and relaxed his shoulders as his arms hung loose at his side, prepared for whatever may come. “You can talk now.”

Spike grinned and hooked his thumbs into his belt loops as he rocked back on his heels. “Think you said it all, Junior.” He whistled admiringly through his teeth. “Bloody hell, you know how to use an advantage.”

“Connor, I realise that there are many reasons for choosing Wesley in this matter, but I do feel that I…” Giles stopped short at the sudden hiss of indrawn breath from both Dawn and Kit. “Girls?”

“No.” Dawn moved closer to Connor and shook her head firmly. “Not you. It's Wesley or no one.”

“Dawn!” Buffy stared at her sister as Giles flinched back like he had been slapped. “Don't talk to Giles like that; he was only trying to help. What's with you?”

Kit felt her face begin to burn, but she forced herself to speak anyway when Dawn remained stubbornly silent. “We don't trust him. He didn't tell you guys about the prophecy when Dawn and Connor first had to come here and now we're in this mess. We know he didn't do it to hurt us, but he did, and we need someone who can see us, not just what we can be used for. Connor says we can trust Wesley to do that and we trust Connor.”

Giles gasped, deeply hurt at the way his actions had been interpreted. “Kit, I have never lost sight of the people you are, the people I love. I merely wanted what was best for Dawn and Connor, if I would have had any inclination that this would be the outcome for any of you I would have found another way.”

“We know you believe that, Giles.” Kit jumped slightly as Draco slipped a bracing arm around her waist and Harry reached hesitantly for her hand. She smiled gratefully at them both and took comfort in their warm touch before looking back at the older man. “But at the moment, we can't. I'm sorry.” The silence in the room was deafening as Giles stared in stunned horror at Kit and then at Dawn, he swallowed hard and nodded his head, incapable of speech at their hurt and mistrust of him.

“I trust I am also allowed to speak, Mr Angel?” Professor Dumbledore walked towards the centre of the room and waited for Connor to offer a protest before he continued. “I appreciate all this must be very confusing for you, and I understand the need you all must have to exert some control over your lives, but I'm afraid I simply cannot allow…” He stopped short as Connor's arm blurred and there was suddenly a dagger quivering point first at least three inches deep in the flagstones beneath his feet.

Connor smiled, slowly and dreadfully, and ignored the gasps and shouts of surprise from the room as he walked forward holding another dagger between his fingertips. “Oh, I don't think you understand anything at all, Professor.” He kept stalking forwards, every line of his body moving with predatory grace and Ginny thought she had never seen anything more beautiful or terrifying than Connor Angel at that moment. The boy was gone and what was left behind was the hunter, the killer, and everyone in the room was suddenly aware of that fact. “I told you once that I would level this castle to the ground if you interfered with me protecting Dawn, but I think I failed to bring you up to speed on some things that have changed.”

Connor turned slightly to allow Dumbledore to look past him at the other members of the Eight, but kept his eyes on the silent old man. “I said I accepted your authority over me as long as it didn't stop me doing my job, and I kept up my end of the bargain. You didn't. The conditions we have laid down are non-negotiable and you don't have a choice in this. I'm responsible for seeing that all the people I care about in this school are protected and kept alive and through your actions you have made my job more difficult.” The dreadful smile widened and Connor's voice dropped a notch in deep promise. “Agree to our terms or we walk, it's as simple as that. If you agree and then try to involve yourself more than we allow, I will kill you. Stone. Cold. Dead.”

“Connor.” Angel moved very carefully from where he was standing beside Cordelia, face lined in anguish when he realised he was no longer looking at his son but at the boy raised by Holtz. “I want to step back and put down the knife. This isn't you, son.”

Connor didn't spare his father a glance and instead raised his free hand in an obviously pre-arranged signal. Harry, Ron and Hermione had their wands out and levelled at Dumbledore, Professor Snape and Willow before anyone could move to prevent them. Draco and the other girls pulled out crossbows from under their robes and calmly fanned out to cover the rest of the room. Connor cocked an inquiring eyebrow at the shaken headmaster. “Still thinking you have any control over us?” He waited for Dumbledore to speak and then shrugged when the old man remained silent. “Ok, have it your way. Dawn?”

Dawn passed her crossbow to Ginny's waiting hand, neither girl taking their eyes off the frozen room, and then took a deep breath and flung out her hand to concentrate on the space they had recently vacated by the window. The familiar green light of a portal began to shine in the air and then exploded into a circle of blinding light. “It's ready, Connor.” She glanced into the light and studied the image caught there intently. “I don't think it's England.”

“Good enough for me. You know what to do, guys.” Connor kept his eyes on Dumbledore as he moved slowly backwards and ignored the pleas and protests from everyone else as they realised that the Eight were preparing to take to their heels again, this time for good. “Last chance, Headmaster, now or never.”

“You'd hold your power in ransom over me?” Professor Dumbledore's eyes were sober as he watched the hope of wizarding kind slowly move out of his reach. “Leave thousands of innocents at the mercy of Voldemort because you want nothing more than to exert your own childish desires?”

“Yup.” A radiant smile shone briefly through Connor's expression of rigid disdain.

“In a goddamned heartbeat, old man. Des-troy-er, remember?”

“And what of the other students? How will this affect the rest of the school when they learn that I am permitting you to co-habit under the school roof.” Dumbledore's voice was steady, but Connor saw the slight tremble in the old hands and knew they'd won. “If you insist on pursuing this course then they will want to know why they cannot expect the same treatment.”

“So tell them.” Connor raised an eyebrow and sneered coldly. “I don't give a damn about anyone else, this is about us. And unless I've missed something vital over the last few days, we're the only kids in this school being asked to risk their lives to save the world. You owe us. A lot more than double bedrooms and the option of sleeping next to a warm body at night.”

“I thought you were a Champion.” Professor Dumbledore was finally starting to look angry now as he faced Connor and he didn't try to stop the flicker of disdain over his wizened features. “Champions of Mankind now expect remuneration for their services?”

“Yes.” Connor jerked his head towards Angel and Buffy pointedly. “They're the selfless ones around here, pal. We're the new generation of heroes and the one thing we're all damn sure of is that nothing in this world comes for free, especially us. Selfless sacrifice is SO not our deal.”

“I see. And all of you are in agreement in this?” Barely able to believe the evidence of his own eyes, Dumbledore stared with a heavy heart at Connor's companions and then nodded at the uncompromising faces looking back at him. “Very well, it appears I have no choice.”

The silence in the room was heavy as the old wizard drew his robes around himself and exited the room with all the dignity at his disposal. Harry watched him go and then turned away with a bitter sigh as Dawn shut down the portal, the taste of victory like ashes in his mouth. “Join the sodding club.”

  
  


* * *

The common room had emptied slowly after Dumbledore's departure, no one clear on how to behave or what to say, most people drifting away to solitary pursuits and contemplation of the new situation. Buffy waited almost two hours before she entered Durus Catenus again in search of Dawn, after spending most of her time alone wandering aimlessly around the castle grounds staring vacantly at the ground beneath her feet.

“What happened to Connor not helping anymore?” Dawn turned from where she was staring out of the window of her bedroom at the sound of her sister's voice and smiled weakly as Buffy leaned back against the bedroom door. “I thought you had him on a strict leash and muzzle these days.”

Dawn snorted quietly and then sat down on the window seat, arms wrapped firmly around her middle, holding on with everything she had. “Can you imagine anyone ever managing to tame Connor?” She shook her hair back as she turned her head from Buffy and stared out over the empty grounds. “And we kinda figured that we needed Connor's special diplomatic talents to make sure we didn't get anymore screwed than we already were.”

Buffy pushed away from the door and walked slowly across the empty room, one eyebrow raised teasingly. “Yeah? The way I heard it, getting screwed was pretty much the clincher for the whole deal.” She smiled at Dawn's startled huff of laughter and sat down next to her sister, carefully keeping important inches between them. “I'm sorry.”

Startled, Dawn met Buffy's suspiciously liquid eyes. “What? Why are you sorry? You didn't know this was going to happen, Buff.”

Buffy leaned back against the cold glass with a heavy sigh and drew her legs up to her chest, looking fifteen again in her oversized sweater and casual jeans. “No, but I should have been more careful with you. God knows I've had enough experience with the Council over the years to know that every helping hand which comes along generally has another hand next to it waiting to smack you over the head with a big stick.” She rested her cheek on her knees and looked at her sister, vulnerable and naked in her emotions in a way that was very unlike the Slayer. “I never wanted this for you, Dawnie. Part of the reason I kept choosing this life is so you wouldn't have to.”

“I know.” Dawn sighed and reached out to lace her hand with her sister's, marvelling at the deceptive frailty of their entwining fingers. “But I think you're fooling yourself into believing you had a choice here, sis.” She squeezed Buffy's hand as her sister jerked and shrugged. “I don't mean the whole prophecy thing. I can accept that I've been chosen by destiny…” She bared her teeth in a humourless grin. “I don't know how destiny's gonna feel about me choosing it right back. The world may not be ready.” She squeezed Buffy's hand one last time and then released it to turn back to the window. “I don't think we had a choice in me going into the family business, not since the first time I saw Connor.”

“Dawn, if you're only going through with this because of Connor….” Buffy trailed  off and rocked worriedly on her butt. “Sweetie…”

Dawn shook her head. “No, that's not what I meant. We talked last night and he told me that he'd walk away from this whenever I said the word. He'd give up everything for me, I know that.” She chewed her lip for a moment, struggling to find the right words to explain herself. “That night at camp, when Connor came running out of the trees and helped me take down a demon, there was something there that I've never told anyone, not even Connor.” She closed her eyes and smiled faintly, picturing the scene again in her mind. “We stood there over a dead demon, both of us not wearing much, definitely not looking our best and this thing inside me just clicked and I remember thinking ‘There you are. What took you so long?' Isn't that weird? I looked at him and it was like everything came into focus for me. Can you get that?”

Buffy thought of a tall, cryptic vampire and then years later of a smaller, snarky one and smiled. “Yeah, I can.”

Dawn nodded and opened her eyes. “I guess if anyone can it would be you.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and continued in a low, reverent tone. “And I think I let myself forget that through everything that's been happening. I know you weren't exactly thrilled when Connor and I hooked up, but he's so good for me, Buffy. He's always known what we have is real and even when I get all wussy and stuff he's always there, just being Connor.”

Buffy looked at her sister and for the first time saw the woman instead of the child. “And that's enough, isn't it?”

Dawn looked down at her hand, where Connor's commitment ring shone against her skin and smiled softly to herself. “Nope. That's everything.”

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


The day passed in awkward silences and surreptitious glances when people were forced to meet or share the same space, until all who were occupying Durus Catenus house were certain they would go insane from the pressure of the words they couldn't say. The Eight in particular were feeling the weight of the world pressing down on their shoulders as they were watched going about their business and monitored for any appreciable change in their usual behaviour. For any indication that the bond they had unknowingly formed was beginning to take effect. All of them were self-conscious, uneasy about the touches that they hadn't even noticed becoming second nature to them until they forced themselves to stop and it was a very on edge group that left the school building that night for a re-match of the training session begun a day earlier in the Great Hall.

Draco shifted his feet on the frosty grass of Hogwarts grounds later that night and listened to the soft crunch absently. “Tell me why we're doing this here instead of in the Hall?” He looked pointedly at the cold darkness of the winter night around them, and then back towards the school where lights shone brightly, but above all warmly, in the windows. “Aside from the fact that it will be so much easier to snap off our extremities when they freeze solid, of course.”

Connor grinned and idly twirled the stake in his hand as he eyed his father and his companions once again lined up opposite him waiting for the word to go into battle. “More room. Less prying eyes.” The grin widened. “No one around to hear the screams.”

“You're a sick, sick, man, Connor.” Draco drew his robes more tightly around himself and tried to ignore the prickling that ran up and down his spine as Ginny and Hermione stood talking in low voices to Wesley. He was alarmed to realise his hands were clenching into fists at his side as Wesley patted Hermione's arm when he spoke in a low voice to her, and his lip curled in an unconscious snarl as Hermione nodded and touched the hand laying on the sleeve of her robe. Draco had been fighting the urge to snap and snarl at anyone that looked at his housemates all day, and he was finding it increasingly horrifying that the feelings of possessiveness and protection weren't just restricted to the female half of his house either. Things were looking pretty desperate in Draco Angel's world when he found himself wanting to deck Professor Snape for snapping at Harry bloody Potter over dinner.

Bloody, sodding, fucking, buggery prophesies and bloody, fucking, sodding, bastard English Watchers with their soft eyes and soft voices that…

“OI!” Draco moved so fast he blurred as Wesley's hand moved from Hermione's arm to her shoulder, dangerously near her slender unprotected neck. “Watch the hands!” His skull felt too tight for his brain and he was aware he was behaving irrationally at best, but he couldn't make himself stop reaching out and yanking Hermione behind him and Ginny into his side. “You're just helping us; you're not one of us! They aren't yours…”

There was a howling in his ears, blood rushed through his veins and his skin felt three sizes too small but through all this there was nothing more Draco wanted than to rip apart the man that had touched what he knew on a cellular level belonged to him. Fucking GRANGER for fucks sake! “You don't touch them. You don't ever touch them.”

He couldn't think; nothing made sense but getting himself between the two girls and the one that wasn't allowed to touch them. He knew this was wrong, knew this was something he should fight against, but he couldn't. He couldn't make himself hang on to that edge of discipline that had held him in control all day; all his life, when everything that he didn't want to care about had been taken and ruined and…and…

“Draco.” That voice. He knew that voice. “Draco, you're going to hurt Wesley.”

Ginny ignored Ron and the others holding back Angel and his companions as they tried to go to Wesley's aid and planted her hands firmly on Draco's chest. “Draco, we're not hurt.” She swallowed and exchanged worried looks with Hermione as she tried to pry Draco's hand away from Wesley's throat where he had him pinned up against a tree. “Draco, listen to me, we're not hurt.” Her voice lowered and soothed as she instinctively stroked Draco's chest directly over his heart, feeling the wild beat of anger and fear under his skin. “Let him go, Draco.”

Draco looked down into Ginny's wide eyes even as his hand tightened on Wesley's throat, and then he looked down at Hermione's frightened face. “I don't even like you.” He could feel his normal, rational mind straining against the primal rage that filled him; the rational mind that told him there was nothing to fear and that he was going to get the piss ripped out of him for long days to come over this. “I've never liked you.” The primal rage was definitely getting a kick out of the choked gasps coming from Wesley, even as he felt his heart begin to slow under the soothing motions of Ginny's fingers. “I don't know why I'm doing this.”

“I know.” Ginny moved closer and allowed her body heat to mix with her boyfriend's, nudging Hermione to get her to do the same. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the rigid grip that Draco had around Wesley's neck lessen slightly. “I know. We're not hurt.”

“I know.” One by one, Draco's finger relaxed against Wesley's skin and he allowed himself to be pulled back a step by the two girls, eyes still fixed on the older man's flushed face, saying almost vacantly, “He's not a threat.”

“No.” Hermione was shaking from the adrenaline rush from when Draco had launched himself at Wesley, but she was more aware of the need to be as close as she could to her housemate when she felt the tension still radiating from him. “He's on our side.”

Angel and Cordelia finally moved as Ginny and Hermione herded Draco back from Wesley and they rushed to their friend's side. “Wes, you ok?” Angel wrapped a bracing arm around the other man's shoulders and supported his weight as Wesley fought for breath. “Did he hurt you?”

“No.” Wesley shook his head and gripped Cordelia's hand as she peered worriedly at him. “It's fine.” He sucked in air and winced in pain as his bruised throat protested, feeling the drag of skin at the livid scar that marred his neck. “It's fine, Angel.” He smiled reassuringly at his friends as he slowly straightened and nodded for them to step away. “Right.” Wesley made himself look at Draco with calm eyes and spoke in a level tone as he pulled a small notebook from his jacket pocket. “Heightened territorial instincts and primal impulses.” His lips twitched in a small smile. “Check.”

Connor made sure to keep himself between Draco and Wesley and stared up into his brother's still twitchy eyes. “What the hell was that about? Wesley wouldn't hurt them, he's here because we trust him, remember?” He looked back disbelievingly at the half strangled Watcher and shook his head. “I thought I was the one with the whole possessive thing going on?”

Despite Ginny plastered to his chest and the solid weight of the rest of his companions bolstering him on all sides, Draco still shook with the need to tear and destroy. “I don't know…” His hand reached without conscious thought and gripped Hermione tightly. “She was standing there…her neck…he was touching…”

“Stop right there, buster.” Cordelia, eyes snapping with fury, approached the Eight with the fearless confidence of a mortally pissed off mother. “I don't care what the hell crazy ideas you got cooked up in that stuffy English brain of yours, Wesley is a good, decent man and he would never hurt a woman, much less touch a school girl with anything less than the proper respect…”

“'Cept for when he would.” Xander's snicker cut off hurriedly as Cordelia rounded on him and he backed up, waving conciliatory hands in the air. “C'mon, Cor, I'm just saying. You do remember when you guys first met, right? All the sexual tension and the sucky face and the…”

“Thank you, Xander.” Wesley, blushing bright red and glancing worriedly at Draco who had started making an alarming hissing noise, stepped forward and interrupted. “We were all much younger then and…”

“You and WESLEY?” Connor's eyes nearly fell out of his head as he looked back and forth between his suddenly speechless mother and the mortified Englishman. “This is a joke, right?”

“I…We…” Cordelia growled and moved towards Xander with fists clenched. “I'm going to kick your ass, Harris!”

“WESLEY?” Connor stared frantically between his rampaging mother, the blushing Wesley and his mortified father. “That's DISGUSTING!”

Wesley shook his head and held out a placating hand towards the younger man. “Connor, it was just twice…”

“TWICE?!” Connor's face screwed up and he swallowed down the urge to gag. “You did it twice?!”

“NO!” Cordelia ground to a halt in her stalking of Xander and whirled around. “There was no doing it. Of any kind. At all. We kissed. THAT'S ALL.”

Dawn gripped Connor's vibrating arm. “Sweetie, you need to calm down. It's not like Angel was Cordy's first. I mean, she and Xan were pretty hot to trot for years and…”

“XANDER?” Connor's day was going further downhill by the second. “You did it with him as well? Ewww.”

“Hey!” Xander stopped backing away in terror from Cordy and looked affronted.

“I'll have you know I was a pretty fine specimen back in the day.” He leered in Buffy and Willow's general direction. “All the hotties wanted a piece of the Xan-man, baby.”

Connor pointed an accusing finger at Willow as she stuck her tongue out at her friend. “You're GAY!” He moved the accusing finger to Buffy. “And you like Spike!”

“Connor, you know that there's a lot of history between us all.” Willow was trying desperately not to laugh at the sheer horror on Connor's face, and tried to look as sober as she possibly could when she tried to calm him down. “We weren't all about the demons back in the day, y'know.”

“And I liked your dad before I liked Spike.” Buffy grinned up at her lover as he glowered at her side. “I have Angel to thank for bringing Spike into my life.”

The English part of Durus Cateanus watched in considerable amusement as the young man that had led them through the most difficult night of their lives, fell apart at the thought of his parent's previous love interests. “But…but…that was just the vampire thing. You guys always knew where you belonged.” Connor slipped an arm around Dawn's shaking shoulder and looked down at his girlfriend as she valiantly battled back an attack of the giggles. “Just like me and Dawn. Mom and Dad knew that they loved each other all along. There was just that thing with the Groosalugg with Mom and Dad couldn't help the thing with Darla…”

Cordelia went as red as Wesley when Buffy chortled in delight and turned on her ex-rival. “He thinks you were just with the demon prince before Angel?” The Slayer's eyes danced with hilarity. “What about Devon and frat-boy-snake-guy and…”

“Shut up, Buffy!” Cordelia squirmed as Connor stared at her in horror. “Sweetie, not everyone is as lucky as you and Dawn. I was young, I experimented…” She bit down on her tongue as Connor continued to gape. “This isn't helping is it?”

Willow slapped a hand over her mouth as a sharp snort of laughter escaped her. “Sorry.” She snorted again. “It's just…” Green eyes began to water helplessly. “I just never saw Cordy as the untouched type, y'know?”

Fred rolled her eyes apologetically at her Higher Being best friend and hid behind Gunn as she let rip with her own snort of laughter. Gunn crossed his arm and leered at Cordy as she glared. “Can't help seein' that I'm the only one not gettin' a little of the Chase action.” He tipped his head to the side curiously. “You got something against bein' a haven for the bruthas, Cor?”

Connor sagged with relief. “Oh thank the Powers. There's a guy she hasn't locked lips with.”

“Hey!” Angel, extremely belatedly in Cordelia's opinion, weighed in to his lover's defence. “That's your mother you're talking about.” From the look on Cordelia's face that wasn't what she had in mind for a heated defence of her tainted honour.

“That's it? ‘Hey?'” Slender hands slapped on slim hips and Cordelia shot Angel a look that had him quailing in his shoes. “Our son thinks I'm some kind of demonic good-time girl and all you can come up with is ‘HEY?'”

“Cordelia, sweetheart, that's not what Connor thinks.” Angel ignored the muffled snort from his beloved son and focused on his irate mate. “And I think it's good that you had some experience…”

Spike shook his head. “He really is as daft as he looks. Who knew?”

“So now you're saying I'm a great big SLUT?” Cordelia stamped her foot and tossed her head. “Who was it who porked their way around most of Europe before we met? Oh, yeah…YOU!”

Dawn smothered a laugh at the look of consternation on Angel's face and snuggled happily into Connor's rigid side. “I think we can kiss goodbye to the training session tonight, folks.” She watched as Cordelia and Angel, all concerns about Draco's behaviour forgotten, launched into a truly vicious argument and then giggled as Spike tried to weigh in and ended up getting yelled at by Buffy. “The more things change…”

“It's actually kinda comforting.” Kit leaned back against Harry as he slipped a tentative arm around her and smiled up at him. “Just when you get to thinking we're the weirdest thing the world has ever seen, along come the Scoobs and… Oh, ouch!” Her eyes widened as Cordelia punctuated a yelled comment with a hearty kick to Angel's shin. “That had to hurt.”

“Seriously, there's just some things a kid doesn't need to know, right?” Connor turned imploring eyes on his brother. “I mean, Wesley swapped spit with our mom, man!”

Draco, finally calming after his attack of primal rage, screwed up his face and winced. “Yuck. It's bad enough to see her do it with Dad.” He eyed the argument going on a few feet away and grinned suddenly as first Willow and Xander and then Fred and Gunn got caught up in it. “Mind you, does a soul good to know that we still effortlessly bring destruction and dissent everywhere we go.”

Harry glanced at Ron and then laughed. “And we weren't even trying that time.”

“Merlin, we're good.” Ron snorted at a particularly pithy insult from Buffy regarding Spike's manhood and slung an arm around Hermione's neck. “Makes you wonder what we'll be capable of when we actually put some effort into it, doesn't it?”

“It's probably a good release of tension for them.” Hermione tried to gently slip her arm out of Draco's grip and looked up in surprise as his fingers tightened. She studied his shadowed face for a moment before nodding and easing her arm up until her hand could link with his. “Does anyone fancy a walk before bed? I think we could all use some time to wind down.”

“Good idea.” Dawn kept one arm around Connor's waist and reached out with her other hand to link with Kit. “I'm still kinda antsy.”

Connor glanced down absently as Ginny's hand slipped into his and then began to walk off. “Yeah. Anyone want to go and see if there's anything new to kill in the forest?” He tuned out the raging argument behind him and idly swung Ginny's hand in his as he peered into the darkened trees. “Might be something in there worth a look.”

Ginny smiled down at her feet as she walked along between Draco and Connor and slanted a look along the line of teenagers, all consciously ignoring the fact that they were once again all touching and a lot closer physically than they should be. “Why don't we forget about killing things just for tonight?” She smiled to herself again and ducked her head. “This is sort of nice for now.”

Draco looked down at the top of Ginny's head and scowled for a minute, before sighing heavily and reluctantly acknowledging that the maddening itching sensation that had been with him all day had finally disappeared now that he had surrendered to the inevitable let himself take tactile comfort where he needed it. “I could do without having to wash blood and guts off myself before bed I suppose.”

Connor rolled his eyes and surrendered to the inevitable. “Fine.” He took a deep breath of the cold December night as behind him furious shouts and screams rang out from his family and their companions. “But if we're not gonna get a good work out, then can we at least go and raid the kitchens? I'm starving.”

Dawn tilted her face up to the sky and smiled happily at the glowing moon and twinkling stars as she left her worries firmly behind her for the night. “I could eat.” And arguing affectionately between themselves as to whether toast and jam or a full meal of sausage, eggs and bacon would be eaten, the Eight wandered off into the darkness and abandoned their loved ones to their angry fate.

  
  


* * *

Over an hour later, after a truly spectacular late night snack of hot fried food, Durus Cateanus meandered back to their house, discussing amongst themselves Draco's earlier reaction to Wesley. “All I'm saying is that it was pretty uncharacteristic.” Harry gestured to Connor as he munched a last piece of fried bread. “I'd expect that kind of reaction from Connor, but Draco's always been more self-contained.”

Kit winked up at the blond boy stalking silently at her side. “Could have fooled me.” She squeezed an affectionate hand over his forearm. “Remember when he saved me from Pansy and the others? Not the coolest guy in school that night.”

Hermione glanced curiously over her shoulder from where she was leading the way cuddled under Ron's arm. “Was that what it felt like, Draco? Could you actually sense danger or were you just making a pre-emptive strike as it were?”

“Granger, all I remember is wanting to rip his simpering head off his shoulders.” Draco glared grumpily at his housemate and halted as Ron gave the password of Dusty Ashes and the door swung open. “And I seemed to be seeing things in a rather lovely shade of red.”

Connor swallowed the last of his bread and nodded knowingly. “I get that.” He stepped through the doorway and tilted his head thoughtfully. “Mind you, that's generally after I open up a few veins and chop off a couple of extremities.” He shrugged off his robes and smirked as he noticed two forlorn figures slumped on the common room couch. “Hey, Dad. Spike. Where's Mom?”

“Your mother is spending some time with Buffy and the other ladies.” Angel rubbed ruefully at his shin and glowered at his grinning sons. “They figured they needed to have some alone time.”

Kit exchanged an amused look with Harry and followed her friends as she whispered in a low voice, “Translation: Buffy and the others are way pissed and the guys are in the dog house.” She shook of her own robes and finally looked up to say something appropriately consoling to Spike. “Don't worry, I'm…sure…” He voice tailed off and her eyes rounded in horror as she took her first good look at the common room. “Oh God…”

Harry grabbed her as she swayed and his eyes darted nervously around the empty room. “What is it?” He fumbled for his wand as Kit started to shake against him and Spike and Angel jumped to their feet with alarmed expressions. “What's wrong?”

Kit clawed at Harry's arm and tried to back away. “God…” Her eyes widened impossibly in her face as she stared around at the packed common room. Everywhere she looked, there were ghosts. Pale, dead faces all looking at her and all whispering just beneath the cusp of her hearing and reaching out their cold, incorporeal hands. “Can't you see them? They're everywhere.” She was dimly aware of her friends taking up positions around her, braced for an attack, but couldn't make herself look away from the spirits pressing all around them. She screamed in terror as a transparent hand suddenly burst through Draco's body where he stood firmly in front of her and she stumbled back as the hand clawed futilely at her eyes.

“What is it?” Ron stared urgently around the room, seeing nothing more threatening than two confused vampires and some fluffy cushions. “What can you see?”

“There's people…” Kit swallowed and licked dry lips. “Dead people.”

Connor nodded slowly and pointed at Angel and Spike. “Uh-huh. Two of them” He sniffed anxiously at the patently empty room. “Kit, there's nothing here. Just us.”

“No. They're everywhere, don't you see them?” Kit shook and her voice trembled as she gripped Ginny's hand. “Oh God, they're everywhere.”

Dawn looked uneasily between Kit and the empty common room. “What is it? What's there?”

Kit backed up until she could back up no further and stared wildly around the room. Everywhere she looked were pale, tortured faces --DEAD face-- and they were looking right back at her. “Oh God…” She screamed as a tiny child that couldn't have been more than five when it died toddled towards her. “No, stay back…”

Dawn swept her wand before her in a wide arc and wished desperately she could see something to aim at. “Kit, stay with us. What's got to get back?” She flinched as Kit screamed again and continued to wail in terror as her knees gave out and she batted frantically at unseen hands. “Connor!”

The Destroyer turned in a tight circle and lashed out at empty air with the sword he had pulled from under his robes. “I can't sense anything!” He looked down at Kit as Harry and Ginny tried to shield her from the threat only she could see and then up at the other corporeal occupants of the room as they looked wildly around themselves and growled furiously as he realised the probable cause of Kit's distress. “Goddamn fucking prophesies!”


	45. Chapter Thirty-Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedications: In memory of Paul, 07/09/73 – 06/06/2003. Much missed, always loved.
> 
> ‘Remember’ – Christina Rossetti 1830-94
> 
> _Remember me when I am gone away,_
> 
> _Gone far away into the silent land;_
> 
> _When you can no more hold me by the hand,_
> 
> _Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay._
> 
> _Remember me when no more day by day_
> 
> _You tell me of our future that you planned:_
> 
> _Only remember me; you understand_
> 
> _It will be late to counsel then or pray._
> 
> _Yet if you should forget me for a while_
> 
> _And afterwards remember, do not grieve:_
> 
> _For if the darkness and corruption leave_
> 
> _A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,_
> 
> _Better by far you should forget and smile_
> 
> _Than that you should remember and be sad._

Liz Horvath shoved her way past the Scoobs and Angel’s group as they filled the corridor outside the girls’ dormitory half an hour after her daughter had collapsed in hysterics in Durus Cateanus’ common room and flung open the door to hurl herself inside. Then she narrowly missed getting her head cut off as a thoroughly over-wrought Draco swung at her with a very sharp sword. “Oh my God!” Liz staggered back against the wall and stared in disbelief at the white-faced boy and then at the sword clutched in his trembling hands. “Draco!”

“Fuck.” Draco staggered back and shook his head jerkily. “Fuck. Liz.” He wiped his sweating face with one shaky forearm and swallowed to ease his dry throat. “Sorry.”

Liz opened her mouth to reply and then looked past Draco to see what had him so on edge in the first place. Kit lay back against Harry on her bed, her shuddering body held between his spread legs as her eyes rolled in her head and she whimpered pitifully as she tried to escape his hold. Hermione and Ginny lay on either side of the couple, their arms and legs wrapped around their friends trying desperately to calm Kit with their touch and proximity whilst Connor, Dawn and Ron each held positions around the bed with weapons and wands ready to defend as soon as a foe became visible. Liz shoved past Draco, her near decapitation forgotten, and ran for her daughter. “Kit! Oh my God, Kit, it's okay, sweetie, I’m here.” She climbed onto the bed and grabbed a kicking foot tightly. “Honey, it's okay, Mommy’s here.”

“NO!” Kit’s struggles increased as she focused her eyes on her mother’s face and saw a gaunt, blood-soaked figure wrap bony fingers around Liz’s neck. “Get out, get out!” She writhed against Harry’s arms, fighting with everything she had to be free. “Mom, get out of here, please!”

Liz looked around at the sound of a low feral growl and realised with a start that it came from Connor. The sweet natured boy that played so lovingly with Roberto and Luca, that handled baby Sara so reverently and carefully had his lips pulled back from his teeth and was snarling and glaring around the innocent looking dormitory. “There’s nothing here.” Connor’s head moved from side to side, scenting and cataloguing every part of the dimly lit room and his muscles quivered with repressed tension under his long sleeved t-shirt. “I can’t stop it if I can’t sense it.” Liz blinked. How could she ever let herself forget that the young boy with the pretty blue eyes was a killer?

Kit whimpered again as translucent hands slid up Liz’s throat and clawed at her mother’s terrified eyes. “Mom, you have to go!” She bucked against the hard arms around her. “I can’t stop it, I can’t protect you.”

“Honey, you don’t need to protect me.” Liz smoothed loving hands over her daughter’s sweating face and tried to stop her fingers trembling against damp skin. “I’m safe, I’m okay. You have to calm down. Please, sweetie.”

“GET OUT!” Kit wrenched her head aside and bucked again. “Connor, GET HER OUT!”

Connor moved faster than Liz had ever seen him move before and she yelped as he gripped her arm and tugged her to her feet. “Connor, no! I have to stay with Kit.” Liz actually felt her feet leave the floor as Connor ignored her protests and yanked her towards the door. “Let me go! Let me…OOF!” All Liz’s breath left her as she found herself unceremoniously thrown through the door and into Spike’s waiting arms.

Connor glowered warningly. “Keep her out of here.” The dormitory door slammed shut.

“CONNOR!” Liz tried to struggle out of the vampire’s arms and get back into the room. “Let go of me!”

“Sorry, luv.” Spike tightened his grip. “Might be best to stay out of the way like.” He winced as there was an increase in volume of the Kit’s screams behind the door. “Fuckin’ hell.”

Willow stood with her hands plastered against the rough wall of the corridor, her eyes shut tight in concentration. “I’m not getting anything.” The Wicca gave a muffled grunt of frustration and worry and smoothed her palms a little frantically over the harsh stonework. “All I can feel is the normal residue auras from the people in the castle. What about you, Cordy?”

Angel’s seer stood further down the corridor, pulsing with a gentle white light and running a discarded sweater of Kit’s through her long fingers. “Nothing.” Chocolate eyes snapped open and glared unseeingly into the middle distance. “Drawing a big, fat blank on any visions of impending disaster and a big, stonkin’ tidal wave of terror from Kit. I can’t see anything.”

“Crap.” Buffy clenched her fists and looked between the two girls before turning to Giles as he stood huddled at the back of the large group. “What if we got Kit out of the school? Just ‘til we worked out what was going on with her?”

The Watcher shook his head as another piercing wail came from behind the shut door. “I’m not sure how much good it would do, Buffy. From what Kit was able to say it sounds like these manifestations are in her mind rather than actually present.”

Spike squeezed Liz reassuringly as she gasped in protest and glared at Giles warningly. “Watch what you say, mate; my girl’s playin’ with all her marbles and don’t you forget it. She says she’s seein’ dead people then she’s seein’ dead people, alright?”

Giles took a breath. “Spike, I am aware these…visions…are all too real to Kit, but Willow and Cordelia are both very powerful in their separate ways and if they cannot find a mystical or spiritual cause…”

“Fuck off.” Spike, with Liz still clasped in his arms, turned his back on Giles to look at Wesley. “Right, Watcher Two, our one isn’t worth the piss it would take to put the flames out at the moment, what’s your take on it?”

Wesley flicked an uneasy glance at Giles’ frozen face, but nonetheless squared his shoulders and answered Spike’s less than delicately put question. “I believe it is an effect of the joining. I understand that Kit has shown some ability to sense restless spirits and the like in the past?” Spike nodded shortly. “Then it is likely that when she participated in the blood bond with the others, the power of the Eight has joined with her own and she is experiencing her first taste of what she can expect to deal with in the future. I can say that almost certainly Kit isn’t hallucinating and I think it is very unlikely that she is under any kind of magical attack.”

“Much better.” Spike flashed Wesley an approving look and then raised his eyebrows enquiringly in Cordy’s direction. “You had a ghost and whatnot before you started bumping uglies with Peaches, right? Think you can do anything to help ‘er?”

Cordy shook her head. “Not if I can’t sense anything; I could always feel Dennis even if I didn’t see him. I’ve got no clue on how to deflect spirits that I can’t communicate with.”

“Perhaps I might offer some assistance?” Professor Snape eased his way through the crowded hallway with a short nod to Buffy and Angel and a scowl at Spike who was still cuddling Liz. “I have taken the liberty of contacting our teachers in Divinations and asking them to meet me here.” He couldn’t help himself reaching out and bringing Liz in under his arm in a gesture of pure possession. Apparently Draco’s new malady was contagious. “I’m afraid one of them is more than a little woolly headed, but together they might be able to offer some words of advice.” Before anyone could question him any further the sound of awkward, heavy footsteps came from the direction of the stairwell and Snape turned his head. “Ah. Here they are now.”

“Oh wow!” Willow’s eyes bulged in her head as a creature straight out of her mythology books she used to read as a child came into view. “Buffy, it’s a...it’s a…”

“It’s a horse. With a guy’s head on top.” Gunn, a man who had spent his childhood alternately dodging bullets and then later demons, folded his arms and eyed the newcomer curiously. “A nekkid horse.”

Fred leaned as casually as she could to the side to see past Spike and then yipped in surprise as Gunn yanked her upright with a scowl. “What? I was looking at his hooves!”

“Uh-huh.” Gunn took another casual look of his own. “Damn, but it’s enough to give a brother a complex.”

Spike smirked. “Speak for yourself, mate.”

“Ahem.” Snape glared around and then gave a short nod of acknowledgment to the centaur that had stopped next to him. “Firenze, thank you for coming. I believe you are aware of the visitors from America?”

The centaur inclined his head towards the silent group and charitably ignored the flinch from Liz as he accidentally brushed her arm. “It is my honour to meet such powerful allies against the Dark Lord.” He looked over his shoulder for a moment and then a resigned expression flitted across his handsome face. “Please permit me to introduce Professor Trelawney, my co-lecturer in the Divine Arts.”

Angel and Spike exchanged looks as they got their first sighting of Professor Trelawney and then looked at their own women. You didn’t need mind-reading capabilities to see this wasn’t going to go well. The rake-thin woman with the thick glasses and flowing robes fluttered forwards and smiled in what she probably thought was a mysterious, intriguing way but in fact made her just look slightly stoned. “My dears, I came as soon as I heard the spirits begin their joyful song that another Sensitive had been found.” Thin hands plucked at the air as Trelawney peered around her. “I have been awaiting this very moment since dear Kim arrived at Hogwarts.”

“Kit. Her name is Kit, you flake.” Cordelia pushed her way to the front of the crowd and looked the older woman up and down. “And is this a joke? ‘Cos I gotta say I’m not finding the chuckles here.”

Trelawney stiffened. “Oh dear, an unbeliever.” She condescendingly patted Cordelia’s shoulder with complete disregard for life and limb and smiled pityingly at her. “Those of us not blessed with the gift of Sight often find it difficult to move past the everyday and truly appreciate the ones with the rarest of Gifts.”

Even Liz, who didn’t actually know Cordelia that well, sucked in a breath, took a step back and tried to make herself a little smaller so she didn’t present any kind of target to the imminent explosion of Higher Being at the professor’s words. Angel grunted in surprise, and no small amount of fear, as he was shoved forward by Buffy and the Slayer took refuge behind Gunn and Fred. “Uh, Cordy? Just take a breath, okay? It won’t help Kit if you lose your temper and…”

“It’s okay, Angel.” Cordelia kept her eyes on Trelawney after a brief glance at Firenze and allowed a wholly uncharacteristic humble smile to grace her face. “Miss Trelawney has a point.” Fred winced and checked her friend’s hand for concealed weaponry just in case Cordelia meant her comment literally. “I really have no business trying to tell her her job.” Cordy stepped back and grandly gestured for the woman to precede her to the girls’ dormitory, ignoring Spike as he flinched and ducked in surprise. “It’s this way.”

Trelawney smiled and patted Cordelia again as she tripped past. “Thank you, my dear, apology accepted. And it’s Professor Trelawney, not Miss.” She smiled at the speechless Fred on her way past. “And you must be the Seer I’ve heard so much about, I can always tell when I am in the presence of one who shares the Gift.” She treated Fred to another mysterious smile. “I’m sure there is much I can teach you.”

Fred stared at the woman like she would a particularly fascinating specimen under her beloved microscopes. “Uh, thanks?” She continued to stare as Trelawney threw open the door to the dormitory and swept inside out of view. “Maybe you can start off with whatever cool mojo you worked on Cordy so she didn’t kill you?” She finally dragged her disbelieving eyes back to her smirking best friend. “That’ll sure come in handy the next time I use her foundation and lip gloss for base in one of our bombs.”

Angel blinked worriedly at Cordelia. “You’re not possessed again, are you?” He sniffed delicately at his love as she shoved past him with a glare. “There’s not another evil-god-thingy hiding out in there, is there?” When there was no answer from Cordelia he turned to Wesley. “Wes, did she sound possessed to you?”

“Er.” Wesley followed warily after Cordelia as she led the way back into the dormitory in Trelawney’s footsteps. “Perhaps we should just keep an eye on her for now. Maybe she’s just feeling a little under the weather.” He peered worriedly into the room. “Perhaps there’s some kind of…Connor, stop that immediately!”

Connor looked around from where he was dangling Professor Trelawney inches above the floor with his fist wrapped around the neck of her robe and glared ominously. “Hermione says that she’s not allowed near Kit.” He shook the woman squeaking in panic at the end of his arm. “Is she the one doing this to her? Is she making Kit see things?”

“NO!” Wesley hurried forwards and tugged fruitlessly at Connor’s arm, glaring angrily at Cordelia as she stood in one corner of the room and chuckled spitefully to herself. “This is Professor Trelawney; she is Hogwarts’ expert on the spiritual side of things. She’s here to help Kit, not hurt her.” He smacked Connor’s shoulder in exasperation. “Will you please put her down?”

Connor sniffed at the now red-faced woman and then half turned towards the bed where Hermione was still pressed up against Harry and Kit. “That true?” His eyes rested on Kit, now finally silent and reduced to just shuddering in terror in Harry’s arms as her wild eyes tracked restlessly around the room following things only she could see. “She really work here?”

Hermione nodded reluctantly. “Yes, but she’s a fraud, Con. She told Harry he was going to die and she reads tea leaves and Dumbledore keeps her here because he feels sorry for her and no one else would give her a job and…and…” Hermione shook her head and gripped Kit’s hand tightly within hers. “She can’t help Kit. I won’t believe it. She hides in her smoky old classroom and says she sees things and doesn’t come out unless she really has to and…”

“That’s enough, Hermione.” Ron placed a restraining hand on his girlfriend’s shoulder and nodded to Connor. “Put her down, mate.” His eyes narrowed as Connor hesitated. “Now, Connor!” The Destroyer eyed his Head Boy for a long moment and then turned his gaze on his captive before slowly lowering her to the floor and turning her loose. Ron nodded. “Thank you. Sorry about that, Professor. Connor gets a little overexcited.” He stepped forward, gently smoothing the woman’s rumpled robes and eased his body between her and Connor as she stumbled away. “Now, we’re very grateful that you came all this way but I really don’t think there’s anything you can do here and it might be better all round if you went back to your rooms and had a nice cup of tea, alright? Maybe have a read of the old leaves, perhaps?” He nudged the flushed and gasping woman chummily. “Never know what you might see in there, eh?”

Cordelia snorted behind her hand. “Yeah, right. Didn’t see Connor coming, did she?” She stuck her tongue out at Angel’s reproachful glare and turned her back pointedly on the room to stroke her hands over the stone walls of the room and try once more to track down the source of Kit’s distress. “If she’s a Seer then I’m a demon’s ass.”

Connor grinned slightly as his mother’s unimpressed comment and backed up to the foot of the bed where his brother and his mate both stood guard over their friends. He eyed the room cautiously and then Trelawney with suspicion. “So if she works here, how come I haven’t seen her before now? I thought I knew all the teachers.” His eyes widened as a long shadow fell through the door and then Firenze entered slowly, ducking his head slightly to clear the doorway. “What the hell is that?”

Snape glared as he followed Firenze and tightened his hold on Liz as she tensed against him when she caught a glimpse of her practically catatonic daughter. “This is Firenze, Mr Angel, he is a centaur. I asked both Professor Trelawney and Firenze to join us hoping they might be able to shed some light on the situation with Miss…” He glanced down at Liz’s pale face and checked himself for a moment before continuing. “I was hoping they might help us with Kit. I would appreciate it very much if you would treat them with courtesy and respect.” Black eyes narrowed as Snape took in Trelawney’s dishevelled state and he upped the wattage on his habitual glare. “Although perhaps that is a little too much to ask. What did you do?”

Connor looked outraged and glared back. “Nothing! She burst in here and ignored me when I told her to stop and then she tried to do some kind of Vulcan mind-meld thing on Kit and then I stopped her.” He jabbed his sword in Trelawney’s general direction in annoyance. “She didn’t say anything about being a teacher and I’ve never seen her before, what the hell was I meant to do?”

Snape turned the glare on Draco and Ron. “You didn’t stop him or try to explain who the professor was?”

For once in perfect accord, both boys widened their eyes innocently and Ron shook his head helplessly. “He just moved so fast, sir.”

Draco nodded in agreement. “Very fast. Like the wind in fact.” He shrugged. “And she did try and do that Vulture thing when he told her to stop.”

“Vulture thing?” Snape, not for the first time, silently cursed the day when he decided to take Dumbledore up on his offer of a job and devote his life to teaching children. “What vulture thing?”

“You know.” Connor gestured aimlessly with the hand not clutching the sword. “She tried to grab Kit’s head and suck her brains out.” He glared at Trelawney again as she gasped in annoyance. “I know what I saw, lady. There was definite brain-suckage going on there.” His eyes narrowed ominously. “I’ve watched Star Trek, I know these things.”

“Connor, for the last time, television is make believe, and Vulcans are not real people.” Wesley huffed in annoyance and then took control of the room when it appeared no one else was going to. “Right, everyone bar myself, Cordelia, Professors Trelawney and Firenze and Kit and her mother outside, please.”

Connor and Draco exchanged looks and backed up until their legs touched the bed. Draco shook his head. “No. We’re staying.” He glanced over his shoulder at Ron and Harry. “Right, lads?”

Harry looked up from where he was whispering in Kit’s ear and nodded. “I’m not leaving her.” His arms tightened around Kit’s shuddering body as she moaned low in her throat and he started to gently rock her in place. “I’m staying.”

Connor pointed at Liz. “And she’s going. Kit said I’m not to let her in here and I’ve got to keep her safe.” His eyes darted around the room looking for possible threats and he grunted in annoyance when he still failed to find any. “She’s got to go.”

Cordelia moved away from the wall as Liz started to protest and tapped the other woman on her shoulder to get her attention. “He’s right; you have to get out of here.” She jerked her head towards Trelawney and rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry about the nutty professor over there; I’m not letting anyone pull any crap on one of our kids.”

Liz shook her head in protest. “I can’t leave her alone…”

“She won’t be alone.” Cordy smiled in understanding and sympathy. “The kids will be here and so will I. She’ll have her family.” She glanced over her shoulder at Kit and then for a brief moment at Angel. “Look, something similar happened to me a few years ago when my visions first came on-line. It’s scary and overpowering but there is a way back, you just have to trust us that we’re going to find it. I’ve trusted you to take care of my kids, now you have to trust me to take care of yours.” She held Liz’s eyes for a long moment and then looked towards Buffy. “Do your stuff, Slay-gal.”

Buffy nodded and came forward to wrap an arm around Liz’s waist to turn her, and by default the still attached Snape, towards the door. “She’s mine too, Cor.”

Cordelia sniffed at the subtle warning in the Buffy’s voice and blew a kiss in Angel’s direction as he reluctantly started to back from the room. “Yeah, yeah. Queen C’s on the case. Willow, you make sure you keep trying to pick up the heebie-jeebie vibes, okay? You get anything, you get your Wiccan ass the hell in here and back us up.” She tried to smile as Willow nodded soberly and then closed the door on her way out. “Okay.” Ruthlessly squashing her feelings of fear and helplessness, Cordelia turned next to her sons. “You two; you need to back away from the bed and let the horse and Witchy Poo here have a look at Kit. I’m not gonna let anyone do anything to hurt her, okay?”

Connor and Draco exchanged looks and then slowly drifted apart to take up positions on opposite sides of the room. It didn’t escape Cordy’s notice that they had put themselves in a perfect position to attack if things went wrong, but aside from a roll of her eyes she restrained herself from acknowledging the move. A quick jerk of the head had Wesley moving to her side as she approached Dawn and the others still ranged protectively around Kit on and off the bed. “You guys too. We can’t help her if we can’t get at her.” Cordelia’s eyes narrowed as Dawn looked back over her shoulder at Harry for guidance. “Hey, Summers, don’t make me pull Scooby rank on you. I was dealing with possessions and other spooky stuff before you were even a blip on the Hellmouth radar and I’ll kick your skinny, prophecy stuffed ass all the way back there if I have to. Now get the hell out of my way!”

Dawn took a step back as she startled at Cordelia’s snippy tone and then looked around as Connor called her softly. “Honey, come here. Mom knows what she’s doing.” He held out a hand towards his mate and smiled gently at her. “Come here to me, Dawnie, it’s okay.” Dawn swallowed and then, with one last worried glance at Kit, did as she was told.

Cordelia folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently as she stared at Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny. “Lets go, people.” She raised an eyebrow and then grunted in satisfaction as the teenagers slowly moved and finally left Kit alone and whimpering on the bed. Ginny went straight for Draco and burrowed into his outstretched arms with a soft sigh as he pulled her close and then tugged the ends of his robes around her until all that could be seen was the top of her orange head and her ankles and black school shoes. Ron, Hermione and Harry moved reluctantly to the bed next to Kit’s and sat in a rigid row, with Hermione between the two boys clutching their hands tightly and chewing her lip as she watched Kit start to twist and thrash once more atop her covers.

“Kit.” Cordelia moved to sit on the bed and gently took Kit’s face between her hands. “Sweetie, try and listen to me.” Her fingers rubbed slowly at the young girl’s sweating temples and Cordy caught her breath at the look of tortured agony in her glazed eyes. “Honey, we’re going to help you, I just need you to hang in there a little while longer, okay?”

Kit twisted in Cordelia’s grasp. “Please…” Her eyes widened in her white face as she saw a cadaverous figure appear over Cordelia’s shoulder. “No…”

Cordelia turned her head slightly and glanced at the pocket of empty air. “Don’t worry, honey, whatever’s there is going away soon.” She patted Kit’s cheek and then looked over at Trelawney and Firenze standing silently at the end of the bed. “Okay, Trigger and Bug-face, get your butts over here and start with the mojo, already. I’m warning you though, any funny business and it’s gonna get real painful to be you.”

Trelawney’s eyes blinked slowly behind her thick glasses. “You are the Seer?”

“Yup.” Cordelia bared her teeth and stood up from the bed as Firenze clip-clopped nearer to Kit. “The real deal, lady.”

“Impossible.” The older woman looked at the slim, brunette standing with her head tilted at a proud angle and took in the skin-tight jeans she wore and the habitual plunging neckline of her sweater. “I sense no abilities within you.” The English woman snorted disparagingly. “Why, your Inner-Eye is not even present, much less open.”

“What the hell are you talking about? What Inner-Eye?” Cordelia tossed her head and restrained herself from stamping her foot. “The only eyes this head has are the two pretty spectacular ones that are framing my nose. Now unless you want me to black up your bulging ones, get your ass over here and sort this kid out!”

Trelawney sniffed and folded her hands primly. “I do not respond to the…aakkk!”

Cordelia bared her teeth again and leaned in until she was nose to nose with the woman she was holding on her tiptoes with one slender hand clutched around her scrawny throat. “Look, I don’t have time for this crap; let me tell you how this is going to go down. One, you get over there with your buddy and see if there’s anything you can do to help Kit; Two…actually, there’s no two.” Cordelia winked at Wesley as she dragged Trelawney towards the bed and smirked as he averted his eyes and sighed at the ceiling. “Get on with it.” She abruptly released the professor and watched as she stumbled against Firenze’s flanks.

The centaur looked over his shoulder with a mild expression as he felt the body tumble against his, but Cordelia could swear that she saw a brief flash of humour in his eyes before he turned back to focus on Kit. “The girl is in a great deal of pain.” He ignored the snort from Cordelia at the obvious statement and gently laid his hands on either side of Kit’s head. “I can feel…” He snatched his hands back suddenly and his tail thrashed from side to side as his hooves scrabbled nervously on the floor. “That should not be possible. She cannot possibly channel that much power and still breathe.”

“What do you mean?” Wesley held up a hand to stop Connor and Draco darting forwards and hurriedly grabbed Cordelia as she made a move towards Kit as the girl began to thrash again on the bed. “What isn’t possible?”

The centaur backed up away from Kit, barely registering that he nearly trampled Trelawney as he did so. “Those with the gift of the Sight have certain natural defences, in a few very rare cases there have been those born without them, with no way to protect themselves from…unfriendly influences. The girl’s mind…” The centaur swallowed and looked for a moment at Harry and the others sitting on the bed. “The girl’s mind is overloading. Every sense she has is tuned to the spiritual plane, I find it hard to believe that she has remained coherent even this long, without her defences in place I’m afraid it is only a matter of time until her mind cracks completely under the strain.”

Wesley held up a hand to stem the furious sound of denial and frightened protests from Kit’s friends at this analysis and then nodded slowly. “I see. The barriers that should be present to protect her conscious mind have been stripped, that is what you are saying?” Firenze nodded apologetically and Wesley frowned. “Dawn, have there been any other occurrences like this in Sunnydale? I was under the impression that Kit was at best only moderately talented in this area.”

Dawn squeezed Connor’s hand tightly in hers and shook her head as she stared at Kit’s squirming body. “No. Just the first time we met with The First. We couldn’t stop it then, but Giles just thought that it was because the ghosts were being sustained by the power of The First, not because we had any psychic talent to speak of. I’ve never seen any ghosts since and Kit’s only really seen a handful. Carlos…” Dawn’s eyes filled with tears at the thought of her dead friend and they spilled over at the thought she might lose another one. “Carlos was always the stronger one that way. He even managed to channel a spirit one time.”

“I see.” Wesley glanced at Cordelia and raised an eyebrow. “This sounds very similar to the spell the demon Voca cast on you with your visions, perhaps I was wrong in thinking this relates to the children’s prophesy. Maybe we should start looking in other areas for a cause and cure for the malady.”

“Wesley, swear to God, if you go British on me now I’m gonna do something really, really nasty.” Cordelia shot her friend a telling look and bunched her fists on her hips. “Even nastier than usual, I mean. Stop sounding like you’re quoting Shakespeare and start speaking English. AMERICAN English!”

“Really, Cordelia.” Wes blinked disapprovingly at his friend and then sighed irritably as the woman waved a clenched fist menacingly in his direction. “Very well. It’s possible that Kit is under some kind of attack rather than drowning under her own power. We need to start Willow and some of the others researching that possibility.”

“Then you could have just said so. Connor, you got that?” Cordelia looked over at her son, only to find him already loping for the door. “Great. Okay, what else, Wes?”

Wesley gestured towards Trelawney. “I suggest we see if the Professor can read anything else from Kit in the interim.” He huffed as Cordy waved a fist in warning again. “For goodness sake, that’s as American as I can get, alright?”

“Hmm.” Cordelia scowled but then another whimper from Kit had her snapping to attention and directing the look at Trelawney. “Okay, you’re up. Do anything I don’t like and I’ll make you sorry. Move it or lose it, Specs.”

Looking slightly baffled at Cordelia’s choice of words, Trelawney nevertheless managed to pick up on the underlying menace in her voice and eased past Firenze to sit herself gingerly at the side of the bed. Very aware that the other members of the Eight had tensed up considerably as she stretched out her hands towards Kit, Trelawney purposely kept her movements slow and careful as she gently cupped Kit’s face and closed her eyes. Aside from a hastily smothered shocked gasp as their skin made contact there was no reaction from the witch and Cordelia grudgingly let her first estimation of the woman slip up a notch as Trelawney swallowed and obviously forced herself to stay in contact with Kit. Long, long moments passed and then the witch’s eyes opened. “Seer.” She turned her head to look blankly at Cordelia. “Come.”

Cordelia narrowed her eyes but moved forward without hesitation, flicking a quick glance of warning towards Draco when he stirred restlessly. “What do you want me to do?”

“Place your fingers on my temples.” Trelawney moved her eyes back down to Kit as Cordelia complied and then closed them. “Open yourself.”

Suppressing the comment that tried to force itself from her mouth, and that was much more in keeping with Spike’s bawdy sense of humour, Cordelia sucked in a lungful of air and released it as she opened herself to Trelawney’s mind and then gasped as her head rocked back and she suddenly saw the room through Kit’s eyes. “Oh God…” Everywhere, they were everywhere. Whispering just below the cusp of hearing, reaching out, trailing dead fingers through hair and bodies and Cordelia had to shut her eyes before she started to scream and never ever stopped. “Why couldn’t I feel them? How couldn’t I know?”

“She’s shielding you.” Respect coloured the professor’s expression and voice and her fingers worked against Kit’s head as the young girl moaned in protest and tried to move away. “Her barriers are insufficient for herself, but somehow she is shielding you. She cares for you very much.”

“Kit!” Cordelia ignored a wizened face of a woman on the edge of her vision and stared down at Kit on the bed. “Cut that crap out! Stop it. Use your barriers for you, honey. I don’t need you protecting me!” She shivered as Kit moaned low in her throat and restlessly turned her head from side to side. “Goddamn it, Kit, stop it!”

“I do not believe she can.” Making light shushing sounds under her breath, Trelawney continued to stroke Kit even as her own skin began to sweat with strain and reaction. “She doesn’t know how she is doing this, only that she must. She doesn’t even have the strength left to guard against me and prevent me from using myself as a conduit between you.”

Not even bothering to try and work that out in her head, Cordelia latched onto the one word in the sentence that she thought relevant. “Strength, that I can do something about. Dawn, Draco?” She felt the two come up silently behind her. “Time to get chop happy with the knives again, kiddies. I don’t think it’s a good idea to get all of you in on it, but the ones with an Aurelius link might be worth a shot.”

“No, Cordelia!” Wesley gripped her arm in protest and nearly dislodged her hold on Trelawney’s head. “We have no way of knowing what might happen if you allow them to attempt another blood bond so soon after the last. In Kit’s current state…”

“CONNOR, GET YOUR BUTT UP HERE!” Cordelia twisted her arm awkwardly and ignored Wesley’s squawking and Firenze’s worried expression. “Wes, back off; it’s a blood thing.” She felt a slight pang at Wesley’s hurt expression, but got over it pretty quickly when Kit began to shudder hard and her eyes rolled back in her head. “Dawn, Draco, cut your hands and cut both of Kit’s then slap ‘em together.” The door banged back on its hinges as Connor exploded into the room and Cordy jerked her head at him. “Sweetie, get over here and cut your hands again. Professor, when I say now, I want you to let go and get the hell out of the way as fast as you can. Kids, when I tell you I want you to link your hands together and then do whatever it is you did in that room when we got Xander back to push some power into Kit. You three are going to be her defences.” Cordy sucked in a breath as Connor, Draco and Kit got into position and then released it. “NOW!”

She grabbed Trelawney around the neck as heaved backwards as eight hands came together with a wet smacking sound and then both women were tumbling to the floor as a scream ripped from Kit’s throat that nearly shook the windows in their frames. Matching bellows tore out of Draco and Connor as their heads tipped back and Dawn cried out in protest as her arms were viciously yanked in their sockets as the power sped through her body and flung her backwards. Firenze caught Ginny around the waist and swung her off her feet as she gasped and ran for Draco and Wes threw himself at Ron, Hermione and Harry as they jumped up from the bed. “No, stay back!” He looked over his shoulder and saw the first shock of the joining had passed and Connor had managed to pull his head up and was trying to focus his bleary eyes on the room. “Connor, can you hear me? Connor?”

“Yeah…” Connor licked his dry lips and his eyes widened as he looked around the room. “Wes, I see them.”

“No, you don’t.” Cordelia rolled to her knees and got as close to the group on the bed as she could without touching them. “Connor, listen to me; you don’t see them and you don’t hear them. That gives them power and we want to take it away from them, do you understand? Connor?” She waited for what seemed like hours for his horrified nod of agreement and then stood up and slowly circled the bed as Draco and Dawn began to take stock of their surroundings. “Listen all of you. They can’t hurt you, they can’t do anything to the three of you, but they can hurt Kit. They are hurting Kit, maybe even killing her. You can help her, you know you can. They’re feeding off the power of the Eight, but they don’t have any claim on the power of the Aurelius bond. I want you to concentrate on that, go past the buzz of the prophesy or whatever the hell else is in there and find us, find what Angel and Spike put in us when they claimed us and bring that bad boy out. Concentrate and just find your blood, find Angel and find Spike and draw it out.”

Draco was too busy trying not to look at the ghost of a young woman with a shredded face that was leering at him over Cordelia’s shoulder to really take in her words, but he made himself finally look down at Kit and focus on his friend. He could feel the power pumping through them as it had in the medical wing, but there was nothing there to suggest a greater connection at all. His mind rebelled at the ludicrous thought of their being anything in him from that one tiny moment of shared blood when Angel had first claimed him. Stupid to think that what his heart had accepted long ago his body would feel now. There was nothing in him but his own blood, rushing through his veins, unconnected to anyone else, just… there! He gasped as he felt something, some brush of something alien but at the same time wholly familiar and he found himself tightening his grip on Connor and Kit as he searched for it again. Something savage but so very, very soothing at the same time and something that he had never realised was missing. His eyes focused on Dawn as she knelt opposite him and they stared in amazement at each other as the overwhelming maelstrom of the Eight’s power slowly calmed and was overlaid by something else, something uniquely them.

“Wow.” Dawn’s whisper could barely be heard and she shook her head in awe. “I never knew.”

Connor blinked and his fingers curled more tightly against the hands in his. “It’s…I can feel you guys. Inside.” He looked down at Kit and saw her body had gone boneless against the blankets. “Kit? Can you hear me?” He frowned as there was no response. “Mom, it’s not working.”

“Yeah, sweetie, it is. She can feel you, now you just need to get inside her and wrap her up tight, okay?” Cordelia kept her voice low and soothing but she continued to pace restlessly around the bed. “You’re doing great; you just need to go be with Kit. Focus on her, let yourselves follow that link back to her…”

Dawn gasped as she felt for the first time the turmoil that was Kit’s mind and then her instinctive withdrawal was checked when she felt Draco and Connor join her and then they were moving together, somehow knowing instinctively how to tighten and strengthen themselves around the sharp, cutting edges of Kit’s terror and blunt the emotions until they could pull together and form a barrier against the darkness that pressed insistently on all sides to rip her apart.

Draco opened his eyes and swayed as he looked past Cordelia again. The ghosts and spirits were still there, but somehow just a little out of phase and less substantial than they had been before. The hisses and whispers of malevolent intent had become nothing more than soundless mewings of desperate mouths and he laughed aloud as he saw a skeletal figure of an old man reach for him and then pull away in frustration. “We did it, Mum. They can’t touch us now. She’s safe.”

Cordelia looked down at Kit and smiled in relief as she watched the tortured face relax and then the pulse in her throat that had been pounding relentlessly ever since the nightmare had began finally slow. “Good job. Can you hold them back for a while?” The three teenagers nodded and she turned to Wesley. “Okay, they’ve bought us some time, what now?”

“I honestly don’t know.” Wesley rubbed a hand over his jaw and shrugged helplessly. “How on earth did you know how to do that? I’ve never heard of anything like it before.”

Cordy tucked her hair behind her ear with a tired sigh and slipped a reassuring arm around Ginny as she stood staring silently at her boyfriend. “I winged it.” She cracked a tired smile at the incredulous looks on the faces around her and tightened her hold on Ginny as the younger girl began to shiver lightly. “What? You think I got by on the Hellmouth all those years on my stunning good looks and personality alone?”

Wesley’s eyes bugged and his jaw dropped. “You…you…” He stared at Cordelia, her two sons, the sister of the Slayer and then finally back at Cordelia and said the only thing he could. “That’s it, I’m telling Angel!”

Cordelia’s pithy reply was halted as the sound of pounding footsteps was heard in the corridor outside and then Willow skidded into the room. She blinked at the tableau on the bed, shook her head reproachfully as she realised that blood magic was once more being invoked and then smiled radiantly at the room. “We think we’ve got something.”


	46. Chapter Thirty-Nine

“So let me get this straight.” Cordelia looked between Willow, Snape and Giles and tapped her foot impatiently. “To get rid of the bad, mean ghosts we’re going to bring another bad, mean ghost in here and then invite him to stay?” Her foot tapped harder as Willow nodded hesitantly and evidently realised how ludicrous the plan sounded when spoken out loud. “Okay.” Cordelia’s foot tapped a little faster. “So, just out of interest, do I get to hurt you all now or do I have to wait until you get to find some weapons to defend yourselves?”

“Cordelia, I realise this may seem a little…strange…but we think this plan really has a good chance of working. Obviously it isn’t a permanent solution, but it will at least give Kit a measure of security in her own, er, home and she will be able to…” Giles broke off as a sharp finger got wagged under his nose.

“Shut up, Giles. This is a stupid, desperate, half-assed plan and you know it.” Cordelia was so angry she was starting to lose control of herself and a definite glow was starting to appear. “And I can’t believe you’re gonna take the word of some see-through guy who can’t even keep a hold of his own head as something that we can trust Kit’s life to.”

“Oh I say!” Nearly Headless Nick, the house ghost of Gryffindor, shimmered with annoyance where he floated in the air and then hurriedly grabbed for his head as it wobbled and tipped to the side. “I don’t think there’s any need for personal remarks, and I can assure you that I am acting with only the very best of intentions in regards to your young woman’s well-being.”

“Whatever.” Cordelia pointedly turned her back on the ghost and glowered at Firenze and Professor Trelawney. “Is what he said true? And don’t bother with the mystical crap, lady, just give me the skinny and remember we’re on a clock here.”

Trelawney opened her mouth, wisely thought better of the long-winded and involved explanation she had been about to deliver when she saw the look on Cordelia’s face and then simply nodded wearily. “Yes. The reason for the house ghosts is primarily to guard against unfriendly spirits. The castle has stood for a thousand years, and before that the grounds were settlements for various ancient wizarding communities, there has been ample time for many unfriendly spirits to congregate here.”

“What did I tell you about the high fallutin’ talk, Sabrina?” There was no heat behind Cordelia’s words; in fact they were tossed out almost in reflex and certainly with no thought behind them. “Wes, what do you think about it? Of all the dumb-ass plans we’ve thought up over the years, this ranks right up there in the top five on my list.”

Wesley placed a hand on the small of Cordelia’s back out of sight and flexed his fingers against her spine in an unspoken gesture of caution and moral support. He smiled slightly as she leaned into his touch and then frowned as he felt the small tremors shaking her. Dammit, in all the concern over Kit and now the other Aurelius children he had quite forgotten that she had also been at risk this evening. Bloody woman, she always had to prove she had the biggest balls in any room and couldn’t care less that one of the occupants was quite literally hung like a horse.

“We cannot allow the children to remain linked for much longer, Cordelia.” His hand flattened against her back and he wondered just how mad she’d be if he yelled for Angel and ratted her out. He winced to himself the last time he’d thought she had rather over done things and turned her over to the vampire. When she’d finally managed to get past his royal broodiness after three days of literally being locked in their suite at the hotel, the resulting shouting had been deeply unpleasant and his knee still twinged on rainy days from the blow it had taken from the staff she wielded. So, definitely no ratting the seer out to the vampire; instead Wes contented himself with moving a little closer to his friend and praying that if she did collapse he could outrun her homicidal creature of the night lover before he took his revenge. “We must do something before we lose all of them, not just Kit.”

“What do Angel and Buffy say?” Cordelia checked herself as she started to sway and then caught a glimpse of Trelawney leaning rather heavily against Firenze. The two women’s eyes caught and held before they exchanged cool looks and they both straightened up. No way was Cordelia Chase showing any weakness before a woman that looked like she’d dressed in someone’s discarded curtains. “They give the go ahead for this?”

“It isn’t their decision to make.” Harry’s voice had all of them turning in surprise and Nearly Headless Nick sniffing and pointedly turning his see-thorough back. “This is to do with the Eight and Connor said just this morning that we make our own decisions from now on.” He stepped through the portrait hole and into the corridor outside the common room where the adults had all adjourned to have their whispered conference and then slammed the door shut, ignoring the angry protest from the wizard occupying the painting. “Which one of the ghosts will it be?”

“Harry, you should think about this. If you choose to bind a spirit to your house it could have many far-reaching consequences considering your unique situation.” Wesley smiled gently at the white-faced boy. “There’s still a little time, perhaps we can come up with another solution to the problem.”

“Kit could be dead by then, I won’t let that happen.” Harry’s eyes flashed behind his glasses and his fists bunched in the folds of his robes as he remembered the feel of her body quaking in his arms. And it wasn’t the good kind of quaking that he’d spend a lot of furtive time imagining either. “The others are fading fast; I don’t think they can last much longer and Hermione says that even if we try to take Kit away from the school, wherever we end up we’re going to have the same problem.” His mouth twisted bitterly as he glared at the people arrayed before him. “Besides, it’s not just Kit at risk here. If she goes insane or dies then it could affect the rest of us, remember? Surely Dumbledore doesn’t want the Eight slipping through his fingers this late in the game?”

Giles swallowed heavily as he looked at the young boy with the blazing green eyes and slowly nodded. “You’re quite right, you are the only people qualified to make this decision. Yourself and your friends are all in agreement?”

Harry shrugged. “They’ll do what has to be done. Just like always.” He turned back to the door of the common room. “I’d hurry if I were you. Connor and the others can’t seem to hear us anymore and Gin and Ron are looking a bit ropey.” Without bothering to see how his words were received he whispered the password and disappeared back into his common room as the door swung open.

Wesley tightened his grip on Cordelia, but was uncertain as to who was comforting who now as he looked at Giles and Willow. “Do it.”

* * *

When the door to the girls’ dormitory opened fifteen minutes later, Harry was sure he was hallucinating. “You have got to be bloody joking!” He stared in disbelief as Peeves floated into the room ahead of Trelawney and Cordelia and shook his head. “That’s the best you could come up with?”

“This is the only thing we could come up with, kiddo.” Cordelia’s face was nearly as white as Kit’s now and she blanched even further as she took in Connor, Dawn and Draco still kneeling on the bed over Kit but slumped awkwardly against each other and barely conscious. “All the other ghosts are already bound or are too damn scared of you guys to agree to a binding. The professor here says that it has to be voluntary or things could get nasty somewhere down the line. Short and stinky here is the only one that would even stay in the room until we finished talking so he won by default.”

“Bloody hell.” Harry watched the poltergeist as he cackled and floated his way at high speed around the room, chasing figures that only he and the barely conscious people on the bed could see and promising dire threats of pain and anguish as he did so. “There’s *no one* else?”

“Not unless you’re thinking of taking a knife to the gut and doing the job yourself, Specs.” Cordelia strode to the bed and cast an anxious eye over her sons and the two girls. “Shit. Professor, we need to move on this.”

“Agreed.” Trelawney spared a brief glance towards the bed and then a more piercing one towards Ron, Hermione and Ginny, all lined up in a row on the bed next to Aurelius children and looking just as ropey as Harry had stated. “Children, can you hear me?”

Ron blinked cold sweat out of his eyes and stared woozily at the double image of his Divinations teacher standing before him. “Which one?” He licked dry lips. “I don’t feel that great, Professors.”

Trelawney gave him another piercing look and then looked at Cordelia as Hermione slumped suddenly against Ron’s side with a moan. “We need to hurry.”

“Way to state the obvious there, Witch-Gal.” Cordelia forced herself to turn away from her children and stared at Harry in challenge. “Looks like you’re the one that’s stuck with the yay or nay vote, Harry. What are you going to do?” She eyed him narrowly. “And how come you aren’t sweating up a storm with the rest of them? You look pretty good considering your girlfriend is losing her mind over here.”

Harry glared back and was glad that the sleeves of his robe hid his hands, where his fingernails were pressing so tightly into his palms as he fought against the chill invading his body that eight half crescents of welling blood had been created. “Just more used to having other people in my head, I suppose.” He couldn’t help the betraying look of nervous concern in Kit’s direction as he spat harshly, “Look, can we just bloody get on with it? Just tell me what I have to do.”

“Nothing, we are binding the ghost to the house not to you, Potter.” Trelawney joined Cordelia and reached out with both hands to grasp the younger woman’s. “Are you ready?”

“Always.” Cordelia shot one last look at her sons and then sucked in a huge breath. “Do it.”

Trelawney nodded and closed her eyes, oblivious to Harry’s suspicious stare at the back of her head. For long moments nothing happened and then a very faint chill began to spread throughout the room. Harry looked around himself worriedly as the ends of his robes began to flap against his legs and edged to stand between the beds, which held the rest of his house. He stifled a gasp of pain as he unclenched his fists and his nails dragged against the ripped flesh, blood began to trickle over his skin and he staggered slightly as the wind picked up more. Peeves had paused by the windows and was staring curiously at Trelawney and Cordelia as the professor began to mumble under her breath and the American woman began to glow with white light, and then the little poltergeist shrieked suddenly as an invisible hand closed around him and he was tossed across the room to hover above Kit and the others on the bed.

Harry stumbled again as an unearthly shrieking filled the air and Cordelia’s glow expanded to encompass both herself and Trelawney. He turned his heavy head with difficulty and saw Ron flat on his back with Hermione and Ginny writhing by his side as Dawn, Connor, Draco and Kit began to add their own screams to the ones that were being ripped from unseen throats. Torn between wanting to reach Kit and wanting to protect Ron and his other friends, Harry hesitated too long and was blown off his feet as Peeves bellowed in a manner more befitting a wounded hippogriff than an undersized blob of ectoplasm and was flooded with a burst of bright purple light. Harry shouted as his head cracked off the wall he had landed against and slumped dazed to the floor as Cordelia and Trelawney both yelled in pain and collapsed to the ground, their hands slipping away from the other and scrabbling desperately for purchase as Peeves carried on yelling and began to float at high speed around the room like a fast deflating balloon. Harry blinked blurry eyes to watch as the little ghost roared through the air, his face wild as he screamed and yelled against the now howling wind and then, as suddenly as it had started, the wind died and Peeves flew straight through the bedroom door and out into the corridor beyond.

Feeling sick, his head pounding in pain from his collision with the wall and with the familiar feeling of blood trickling down his face, Harry pulled himself up into sort of an organised slump and adjusted his glasses as he looked around the wrecked room. Cordelia and Trelawney were still lying in the middle of the floor, both covered in various bits of clothing and other detritus that had previously adorned the girl’s dressing tables and bedside cabinets. The beds that weren’t occupied looked like they had been the scene for a particularly energetic orgy after the wind from the binding had finished with them, blankets and sheets straggling in limp lines over the edges of mattresses and onto the floor. The occupants of the beds that were in use looked like they had fared no better, all of them lay with mussed hair and disordered clothing in barely conscious heaps and their eyes glazed in pale faces.

“Potter…” Professor Trelawney managed to push herself up on shaking arms and dislodged a sprinkle of glass from a broken perfume bottle and a pair of training sweats. “Help me separate them.” She moaned as she got to her feet and helped up Cordelia before staggering across to Kit’s bed. “Hurry!”

Harry stifled his own moan as he made himself get up and weaved his way to her side. With arms that felt like well-boiled bits of spaghetti, he pulled at Draco’s shoulders and when that wasn’t enough to break the white-knuckled grip the blond still had on his brother and Kit, Harry gritted his teeth, dug in his heels and yanked backwards as hard as he could. He grunted in pain as Draco’s full weight landed on him and his back made contact with the hard floor, but his arms tightened around the bigger body and held grimly on as a protesting wail sounded from Draco. “Steady on. You’re alright.”

Draco blinked up at the ceiling and tried to struggle free. “Kit…”

“Is fine, Mr Malfoy.” Trelawney had managed to separate Dawn and Kit with a little more finesse than Harry had displayed and was feverishly checking over the now peaceful girl. “You have done extremely well.”

A heavy thump announced Ron falling to his knees on the floor beside the two boys and he glanced up with a distracted frown at Trelawney. “His name’s Angel.” He swayed as he struggled to get a shoulder under Draco’s armpit and then he was rising unsteadily with Harry to support the barely conscious boy between them as Hermione and Ginny moved past them to aid in separating Dawn and Connor. “S’not Malfoy, he’s Angel now.”

Draco shakily nodded and fiercely muttered at his feet, “An’ don’t you forget it.” ***************************

An hour later the girls’ dormitory was a very different place than it had been. Liz was once more sitting at her daughter’s bedside and holding her hand, but now Kit was lying serenely against the pillows dressed in fresh pyjamas and in a deep charmed sleep that Madam Pomfrey assured Liz would aid Kit in recovering as quickly as possible from her ordeal.

The rest of the Eight were all piled together on Hermione’s bed, the Aurelius children scowling as their already healing hands were checked yet again by a fussing Spike and Angel, and the four English teenagers were pale faced and sipping at steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Wesley was perched on a high-backed chair by the bed and poised expectantly with pen on a small notepad. “You cannot detect any evidence that the unfriendly spirits are still here? You are quite certain they are gone?”

Connor shrugged and winced as Angel re-bound his hands tightly enough to cause concern over his remaining blood reaching all the bits it should. “Ow, Dad, quit it!” He yanked his hand away from Angel and irritably pulled off the bandages. “Just leave them alone, they’ll heal soon enough anyway.” He looked even more irritated as Wesley poked his knee with an impatient pen tip. “God, look I don’t know, okay? The stuff I was seeing before isn’t there now, which I suppose is a good thing.” Stormy eyes darted suspiciously around the room and sensitive nostrils flared as Connor expressed his displeasure at fighting a battle without one blow being traded. “I just have a really strong need to hit something and make it bleed. A lot.”

Dawn gave her own wince as Spike worriedly examined her own cuts. “Business as usual then.” She tugged feebly against his grip. “Spike, I’m okay. Go check on Kit.”

“Yeah, you look okay, alright.” Spike glowered indiscriminately around him and tugged the wrist back. “Half bloody dead from blood loss and outta ya’ mind from fuckin’ ghosts and God knows what goin’ on.” His blue eyes looked yearningly over at Kit. “Queen of the Damned’s got ‘er mum with ‘er, she don’t need me.”

Liz jerked as she heard the slightly bitter words and stared at the tense vampire, feeling a stab of shame as she realised that she had disregarded his feelings in her own worry over Kit. “Spike.” She waited until he met her eyes with a belligerent expression and smiled hesitantly. “If you’ve finished with Dawn, I think Kit might appreciate having you nearby. It might help her sleep better.”

Buffy felt a lump in her throat at the uncertain look on her mate’s face and stood up from the window seat where she had been tending quietly to a very sleepy Cordelia. “Go on, sweetie. She’s had a rough night; you know the girls sleep better when you tuck them in when they’ve had a bad day.”

Liz looked startled and watched Spike smooth a hand over Dawn’s head before moving to stand awkwardly at Kit’s bedside. “You’ve put her to bed before?”

Spike scowled defensively. “Nothin’ funny, like. Just tucked ‘er in when she stopped over at the house. It was all right and tight, and the Slayer was there the whole time!”

“I would never believe differently, Spike.” Liz’s quiet words cut through his indignation and she reached over to tug lightly at his arm. “Sit down. Please.” She waited until he sat down with a final glare and watched as he carefully took one bandaged hand in his to cradle it in both of his. “Did she need soothing to sleep a lot?”

Spike shrugged and looked uneasy before starting to stroke Kit’s wrist, reassuring himself with the beat of her pulse under her skin. “Sometimes. We ‘ad a few rough spots, y’know? Used to be that the chits would be too knackered to do more than kiss us goodnight and stumble up the stairs after we’d had a bad night, but sometimes they’d need a little time to settle an’ I’d go up and read to them for a while.” He smiled slightly as his hand moved to Kit’s hair and he carefully combed through the long strands on the pillow. “The three of us used to climb up on Dawn’s bed and curl up an’ I’d read a bit of whatever they fancied ‘till they dropped off.” His smile turned bittersweet. “Carlos used to sleep on the floor at the bottom of the bed, an’ he used to make all these wise-arse comments and ‘ave us near killing ourselves laughing with ‘im making up daft voices for the people in the story.”

Liz’s eyes filled with tears at the loss in his voice and the thought that Kit’s human father hadn’t bothered to even stick around for her second birthday, much less took the time to read her to sleep as a difficult adolescent with troubled dreams. “You love her very much.”

Spike looked up and stared at her in puzzlement. “’Course I do. ‘Er and Dawn mean the world to me.”

Liz shook her head and sniffed back her tears. “No. I mean that I’ve been thinking it’s all been about the slaying and protecting the Hellmouth all along, but you actually love her for who she is. You love Kit.”

“Bloody right I do!” Completely outraged, Spike clutched harder than he intended at Kit’s hand and forced a soft moan out of her despite the charmed sleep. “Ssh, s’alright, pet. M’here.” He continued to whisper until he was satisfied she was again calm and then aimed a fierce glare at Liz. “Look, you might ‘ave birthed the kid, but that don’t mean you’re the only one that can love her, alright? I know you don’t like it, but me and Kit ‘ave got something good between us and I ain’t just talking about me showing ‘er how to swing a sword. She tells me stuff, an’ she likes my music and when she needs cash or a cuddle or someone to ‘elp her work out some problem at school then she comes to me ‘cos she chose me to be ‘er dad.” Spike lowered his voice hurriedly as he realised that he was perilously close to yelling. “And it means somethin’ to me that she chose me. She didn’t ‘ave to mind, but she let me claim ‘er and she’s alright with it.”

Liz swallowed down the pang of jealousy at his impassioned words and the thought of her daughter having such a good parental relationship with someone other than her and then smiled suddenly. “I’m glad she chose you as well, Spike.” She lay her hand over his where it was still holding Kit’s and squeezed tightly. “I wasn’t before because I didn’t understand, but now I do.” She squeezed again. “I’m so glad that she finally found someone like you to be her father.”

“Right.” Completely nonplussed by this sudden turn of events, Spike eyed Liz warily and then nodded shortly. “Right then. That’s settled.” They stared at each other and then settled in to watch their daughter sleep, both easier in their unusual relationship than they had before.

Buffy grinned to herself and then lightly touched Dawn’s shoulder as she lay dozing against Connor. “Sweetie, you should get some sleep as well.”

“Huh?” Startled awake, Dawn sat bolt upright and then groaned as her head swam and made the room swim. “What’s wrong?”

Buffy smoothed her sister’s hair from her face and cupped her pale cheek. “Nothing, Dawnie, I just think you should get some sleep.” She glanced piercingly over all the teenagers. “That goes for the rest of you, as well. You look beat.”

Draco stifled a yawn against Ginny’s hair as it lay on his shoulder and blinked blearily up at the Slayer. “’Bout Kit?”

“Kit’s sleeping, son.” Angel laid a hand on Draco’s head and allowed himself a quick caress whilst the boy was too groggy to do more than pull a face and roll his eyes. “You’ve all been through a lot tonight.” He glanced pointedly at Wesley. “Questions can wait until the morning can’t they? It looks like the binding worked so Kit’s safe for tonight.”

“Hmm?” Wesley looked up from where he was taking Hermione’s pulse and peering into her glazed eyes. “Oh yes, I suppose so. Perhaps tomorrow we could conduct some more tests into the link between them all. It’s really quite fascinating how these four have been affected even though they were not part of the blood bond this time, even though Harry seems to have gotten off quite lightly in comparison to the others.”

Harry looked up from where he had been studying the murky depths of his mug of chocolate and scowled. “Told you, I’ve had more practice in keeping people out of my head.” He struggled free of his companions and off the bed to hesitate for a moment before walking across to Kit’s bed. “She alright?”

Spike looked up at the belligerent question and took careful note of the fearful thumping of Harry’s heart instead of the heavy scowl on his face. “For the minute. That Pomfrey woman says she’ll be okay with a bit of rest.”

Harry swallowed and wished he knew what to do with his hands, instead of just allowing them to dangle uselessly by his side. “Right.” He darted a nervous look at Kit. “Trelawney says that her mind might be…that she might be…broken.”

“Nah, not our Kit.” Spike shook his head and grinned with amusement. “She needs a good night’s sleep, big plate of grub and she’ll be good to go. Might take her a while to get over the fright, but nothin’ keeps her down for long, you’ll see.”

“You don’t know that!” Harry’s fists clenched and he was so overcome with fear and anger that he didn’t feel the pain from the cuts and bruises he had inflicted on himself earlier. “You don’t know she’s going to be okay, she could stay like that forever and…”

“And you’ve had a crappy night and it sounds like you need a hug.” Dawn slipped between Harry and Spike and shoved her friend back. “Come on, move your butt, Potter.” She shoved him again and then ruined her cool handling of the situation by nearly tipping forward onto her face with exhaustion. She grunted as Harry hurriedly grabbed for her and then they both fell backwards onto Hermione’s bed. Which was suddenly a lot bigger than it had been.

“Hey, get your hands off my girl.” Connor had a good try at pretending to be annoyed, but instead just sounded a bit dopey. He groped around until he located Dawn’s arm and then yanked her off Harry and up the bed to cover his body. “Slut.”

Dawn flip-flopped ungracefully for a moment and then slipped off Connor to lay with her back to his chest as he curled up on the edge of the bed. “Jerk.”

Harry managed to sit up and stared at his housemates, all lined up in a row over Hermione’s bed and Dawn’s that had been shoved together and then transfigured by an exhausted Hermione to create one huge sleeping platform. “Um…” His eyebrows shot up as he looked from one to the other, all still dressed but still huddled far too close together for his liking. “Is this something to do with the prophecy again?” He cleared his throat. “I thought we sorted this out at the farmhouse, we’re all sticking to members of the opposite sex and just pairing up with no funny business.”

Draco cracked one eye open from where he laid on the opposite side of the bed to Connor, and held Ginny tightly before him in his arms. “Potter, the day you start looking like a viable shag buddy is the day I impale myself on my own wand, arse first.” He grinned tiredly at the muffled giggle from Ginny and gave her an affectionate squeeze. “Wes thought it might be a good idea to try out some of that pack thing he was banging on about earlier and see if sleeping like this might speed up the healing. I’m too tired to care.” His tired grin turned positively wicked as he laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. “Now come to bed, darling, and let’s snuggle.”

Harry glared as various giggles and chuckles sounded from his exhausted housemates and then kicked off his shoes. “I hate you all.” He crawled up the bed as Hermione and Dawn scooted apart and made room for him between them. “Every last one of you.”

Draco, tired as he was, couldn’t let Harry have the last word. “Passion; I like that in a bedmate.” He grunted as Ginny jammed an elbow in his side and rooted blindly until he found her ear and could bite down on it lightly. “It’s a thin line between love and hate, after all.”

“That’s enough now, Draco.” Angel looked down on the exhausted teenagers with Cordelia finally sleeping in his arms and tried to hide his concern by smiling at his sons. “Get some sleep.”

“’Ere, room for one more?” Spike carefully lifted the bundled figure of Kit over Connor and Dawn and plunked her clumsily down beside Harry. “You keep your hands to yourself, mind.” He scowled at Connor who was making the most of his opportunity to get up close and personal with his groin and Dawn’s butt and wobbling precariously as the bed stretched itself a little more to accommodate another body. “And other parts!”

“We’re mated, Spike.” Connor sneezed as Dawn’s long hair tickled his nose. “It’s..’llowed…” He yawned and then sank into sleep. Harry shot Spike and then Liz a nervous look but then hardened his jaw and gathered Kit close as he shut his own eyes and started to drift.

The adults stood and watched the confused tangle of teenagers for a long time before Angel nodded. “They’re asleep.” He waited until Buffy and Spike quietly covered them over with an assortment of blankets before leading the way to the door. “I’ll settle Cordy and then send Fred and Gunn through to sit with them for a while. Where’s the ghost?”

Spike shrugged as he opened the door and waited for Liz and Buffy to go past before leaving the room. “Off doin’ ghosty things. He’ll be around somewhere.”

Liz leaned tiredly against the wall as the dormitory was pulled gently closed and then touched Buffy’s arm. “Does it ever get any easier?”

Buffy looked at the older woman for a long moment and then slowly shook her head. “No. Not ever. I’m sorry.”

Liz smiled tearfully and then turned away to walk into Snape’s arms as he hurried up the corridor from where he had been patiently waiting for his lover. “That’s what I figured.”

* * *

The next morning dawned to find Peeves hovering over the Eight’s shared bed and leering at them as he shredded textbooks gleefully in the air and Kit staring in frightened bewilderment around the room and trying to work out why she was suddenly down to just one ghost instead of the throng that she remembered. And also why she was lying half on top of Harry Potter and Dawn Summers was stroking her butt. “Um, Dawn?” Kit wriggled until she could peer uneasily at her still sleeping friend. “Dawn?”

“Hmm?” Dawn snuggled back into Connor’s warm embrace and carried on showing her appreciation by fondling his ass. “Nice.” A small female gasp had her frowning and struggling towards consciousness and she opened her eyes to find Kit staring at her with a distressed expression and Connor, and his butt, behind her. Which meant…her frown increased as she tracked along her arm to where her hand was still absently moving. “Gah!” Dawn snatched her hand away and shoved back as hard as she could, sending herself and Connor crashing to the floor. “GAH!”

“Whazzit?” Connor shoved Dawn off him and jumped to his feet, staggering as he tried to open his eyes, find his balance and spot whatever had frightened his mate at the same time. “Whassamatter?”

“Connor, it’s okay.” Kit sat up and clutched at his arm as he wheeled in confused circles. “It was me, I surprised Dawn. Everything’s fine.”

Dawn sat up with a wince on the hard floor. “Oh yeah, it was a surprise, all right.” She grinned in lopsided apology at Kit. “Nice ass.”

There was a grunt from the opposite side of the bed and Draco’s bleary face rose into view. “I’ve always thought so.” He scrubbed a hand over his tired face and dropped an absent kiss on Ginny’s temple as she stirred against him. “What’s going on? We’re not under attack again are we?” He looked up as several pieces of white paper fluttered past and settled on his pillow. “Piss off, Peeves.”

The ghost cackled in delight and tore some more pages out of Harry’s Charms textbook. “I lives here now. I'm going to be here all the time!” More pages were thrown in the air in celebration of this fact. “I'm a big, important ghost now!”

“Oh fuck me.” Draco grunted and dropped his head to burrow into the back of Ginny’s neck. “It’s too early for this.”

Dawn accepted the hand that Connor held out and allowed herself to get pulled to her feet. She flashed a smile at the exuberant ghost and then looked down at Kit’s face anxiously. “Are you okay?”

Kit nodded with one wary eye on Peeves. “I think so.” She turned her head as she felt Harry move under her and looked into his startled eyes as they opened. “What happened?”

“You flipped out and starting seeing ghosts.” Ron’s sleep rough voice made her jump, but she managed to return his smile when he leaned up on one elbow to peer at her over Hermione’s head. “Then Connor, Dawn and Draco did some sort of blood thingy again and Trelawney bound Peeves to our house to stop you being a vegetable. Then we all got a bit ill. ‘Cept Harry, he was just a bit pissed off.”

“Oh.” Kit blinked. “Who’s Trelawney?”

Ron’s face cracked in a huge yawn. “Loopy old bird that thinks she can see the future.” He copied Draco’s move to try and scrub the sleep out of his eyes and then yawned again. “Teaches Divinations.”

Kit nodded, none the wiser. “Right.” She smiled uncertainly at Harry and then sat up with a groan of pain. “Why do I feel like I’ve been kicked from one end of the school to the other?”

Dawn and Harry exchanged worried looks. “Don’t you remember?” Dawn took her friend’s hand and sat down on the side of the bed with Connor arranging himself to cuddle up behind her. “What do you think happened last night?”

“Oh God, I did get kicked around the school, didn’t I?” Kit’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Was it that Pansy girl again?” She frowned as Dawn looked even more worried and cast her mind back. “Okay. We were going to go training outside, but then the guys got in an argument and we went for something to eat instead.” Dawn nodded encouragingly and squeezed her hand tighter. “Then we came back here and…” She bit her lip and stumbled over the words. “Then there were…people…lots and lots of people. Dead People. I remember the dead people.” Kit’s pulse started to throb in her throat and she clutched tightly at Dawn’s hand. “You all were shouting and Angel and Spike were here and then…then…” Frightened brown eyes stared at Dawn. “I can’t remember, there were dead people and it got all loud and stuff and then I don’t remember! Dawn, what happened to me? Why did we bind a ghost to us and why are we all sleeping in the same bed?”

Dawn tugged her hand free and put her arms around Kit in a hard hug, glaring in disgust over Kit’s shoulder at Harry when he shifted uncomfortably and edged away slightly. “Don’t panic, you’re alright now. Wesley thinks that we might have kicked your psychic abilities up a notch or two when we linked to bring Xander home. You got a little overwhelmed by some spirits and we had to hold you down a little because we couldn’t get you to calm down and you got so scared you couldn’t hear us.” She rocked Kit soothingly as the other girl’s breath began to hitch. “It’s okay, Kit. Connor, Draco and I used Angel and Spike’s claim on us to come after you and keep you safe until we worked out what to do. Cordy and the professor got Peeves to agree to be our house ghost so he could drive the other spirits out and then they all went away. You’re safe now.”

Kit tried to get herself under control and squeezed her eyes shut. “You have the weirdest definitions of safe.” She shuddered as hazy memories of noise, gaunt faces and blinding cold started to come back to her. “I was all alone.”

“No, you weren't alone.” Connor wrapped his arms around the two girls and hugged them tightly. “We were all there, it was amazing.” He frowned in sudden thought and then coughed uncomfortably. “Not the, y’know, ghost bit, but the connecting bit was pretty cool. I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

Draco took his eyes off the three teenagers tightly entwined on the other side of the bed and looked down as Ginny nudged him again. “What?”

She smiled and patted his cheek softly, knowing if she told him how much longing his expression had revealed she wouldn’t see him for dust and a trail of outraged, snarky comments. “Kit needs all of you.” She sobered as the beginning of a glare started on his face and patted his cheek again. “It might help calm her down, probably part of the vampire thing.”

Draco looked uncertainly at Kit and then back down at Ginny. “Do you think so?” She nodded her head and he eyed her warily. “You wouldn’t mind?”

“Of course not.” Ginny gave him a gentle push and smiled as he stood up from the bed. “She’s your family.”

“Right.” Draco straightened his horribly crumpled robes and walked self-consciously around the foot of the super-sized bed. He cleared his throat and folded his hands behind his back as he drew level with the group of three still hugging each other and whispering reassurances. “You’re alright, then?”

Kit pulled her head out from between Connor and Dawn’s and blinked red-rimmed eyes up at him. “Yes. Are you?”

“I’m not the one that was screaming my head off all bloody evening.” The concerned look on Draco’s face belied the harshness of his voice and he took a step back as Kit reached for him. “What?”

“Come here, you idiot.” Kit giggled weakly as he backed up another step looking almost frightened and managed to grab the edge of his robes. “I just want to give you a hug.”

“I can assure you, that’s not necessary.” Draco scowled as he was yanked towards the bed as Connor added his hands to the task of reeling in his brother. “Look, you bloody idiots, you may want to get all touchy feely and all that crap, but I don’t do that sort of thing and I…OI!” He lost the battle and tipped face first into their waiting arms. “Get off me, you cretins. Stop that!” He struggled for balance as Kit and Dawn laughed and bussed their lips over his cheeks thoroughly. “Get OFF me! If I wanted muggle spit smeared all over me I’d…STOP IT!”

Hermione oofed as Harry scrambled over her to get out of the way of Draco’s flailing limbs and he continued to yell insults through the undignified honks of laughter that seemed to be taking precedence over his desire to get away. She rolled over Ron’s body and brushed a kiss over his grinning mouth as Draco smacked Connor around the head when the Destroyer delivered his own smooch to the bigger boy’s exposed neck. “Good morning.”

Ron eyed Harry’s rigid face as he watched Draco give up the struggle for freedom and grab Kit around the waist to squeeze her until her eyes popped. He glanced at his sister and was surprised to see her grinning lovingly at her new boyfriend without a trace of jealousy on her face and then looked back at Harry, now actively scowling. Ron thought about ghosts, prophecies, the feeling of life slowly draining from his body at the height of the previous night’s drama and snorted dubiously. “Right. Good morning. If you say so, Herm.”

Hermione smiled sunnily, supremely grateful to find herself still alive and charitably ignored Kit’s flailing foot catching the side of her thigh in a hard kick. “I do.” She ignored the increasingly vicious tickle battle and bent her head to Ron again. “I say it’s a bloody fantastic one.”


	47. Chapter Thirty-Nine B

The Eight’s bloody fantastic day lasted for precisely another twenty-three minutes, right up until Liz and Madam Pomfrey swept into the bedroom and subjected them all to a thorough medical examination over their very vocal protests and then both women decided that Kit was to be returned to her own bed and left there to enjoy a solitary breakfast whilst the rest of her house got themselves cleaned up and out of the dorm for breakfast in the Great Hall.

Madam Pomfrey remained unmoved throughout all of Kit’s pleading, Connor and Draco’s growls of anger and Dawn leading Hermione, Ginny and Ron in a childish temper tantrum and informed her annoyed charges that she had a number of tests to run on Kit and she would not be able to do it with them all there. And then when they tried to get Kit out of the dorm with them and at least allowed to eat with them in the Great Hall, they were unceremoniously reminded that Peeves’ influence only protected them against unfriendly ghosts within their house walls and that Kit would be subjected to more psychic attacks as soon as she set foot out of their quarters. The seriousness of the situation was brought home even more when they were told that even the briefest contact with Kit’s raging mind the previous evening had been enough to lead to a worrying collapse by Firenze, and although it was believed to be in part because he was of a different species, the fact still remained that both Professor Trelawney and Cordelia were both still in a deep sleep and were both were proving resistant to any attempts to rouse them so far.

Surprisingly it was Harry, who had remained sullen and uncommunicative since seeing Kit so happily fall into Draco’s arms earlier, who had the most overt reaction to the news. Whilst Connor and Draco had looked deeply worried at the news about their mother, Harry had taken one, long tortured look at Kit and whirled around to punch the side of a wardrobe as hard as he could. The rest of the room had frozen as he lashed out again and then spun in a whirl of creased and rumpled robes to dash for the door and the safety of his own room.

“Harry!” Ron started to go after his friend, but was stopped by Kit’s hand on his arm.

“Leave him for a minute.” Kit smiled a wobbly smile and tried not to look as hurt as she felt that Harry hadn’t come near her or even spoken to her since she had woken up on top of him. “He probably wants to be on his own.”

Draco scowled. “Or he’s just being a sodding attention seeking prick as usual.” He held up his hands as Hermione turned to look at him with wide eyes. “I know, I know; he’s had a hard life, allowances must be made for him not getting tucked into bed with a stuffed animal when he was a toddler and him growing up to be a complete fucking arse.”

“Actually that wasn’t what I was going to say.” Hermione glared and shoved some hair out of her eyes. “I was going to say you shouldn’t use that language in front of a teacher.”

“Oh.” Draco looked confused for a moment and then nodded to Madam Pomfrey. “Sorry.” He waited for another minute and then raised his eyebrows at Hermione. “Is that all you’ve got to say, Granger?”

“Yes.” Hermione smiled apologetically at Kit and wished a little guiltily in the privacy of her own mind that Harry would stop being so self-centred and think about how events affected the people around him instead of just himself for once. She nodded coolly at Draco. “I think you summed everything else up pretty well.”

Kit squeezed Ron’s arm again as he drew himself up indignantly and suddenly felt very, very tired. “Look, you guys go on down to breakfast. I’m pretty wiped and I’ll probably just go to bed after I’ve eaten and stuff.” She smiled tremulously at her friends. “Go on, Mom will stay with me.”

“You sure?” Dawn looked carefully at her friend and recognised the signs of someone who really just wanted to have a good cry and not have the added humiliation of witnesses. She smiled as Kit nodded and then gave the resisting Connor a soft shove to get him moving. “Okay, we’ll get some fresh clothes and get out of your way.” She smiled again at Kit and then joined Ginny and Hermione in grabbing clean clothes and their toiletries. “We’ll be back in a while.”

Kit nodded wearily and tried to smile again as they filed out and the last glimpse they had of her was of her standing forlornly by the bed in wrinkled pyjamas and her dark hair framing her lost face. Ginny slipped a hand into Draco’s and squeezed it as they walked silently up the corridor to the bathrooms and the boys’ bedroom. “Don’t say anything to Harry, will you? I don’t think any of us are up for a row just yet.”

Draco frowned and looked down at her pleading face before nodding reluctantly in agreement. “If that’s what you want.” He smiled as she looked at him mistrustfully and ignored Ron rolling his eyes to bend down and brush a hesitant kiss over her lips. “I promise to be the absolute model of courtesy and decorum.”

Ginny snorted and kissed him back. “I’m asking for a little restraint not a miracle cure.” She grinned as he looked indignant and kissed him again before letting go of his hand reluctantly. “Now go and shower and let’s get something to eat, I’m starving.”

Draco stood and grinned stupidly as Ginny, Hermione and Dawn disappeared into the bathroom and then turned to Ron. “It’s only fair to warn you, I think I may be having entirely inappropriate feelings for your sister.” His grin widened as Ron looked slightly nauseous and clutched at his belly in distress. “Well, inappropriate for you, anyway. From this side they feel bloody marvellous.”

Connor laughed and clapped Ron on the shoulder. “Welcome to the family, Ron.” He ignored the low moan of distress at his words and jerked his head towards their room where he could hear Harry banging about inside. “Come on, we’d better go and get changed.” He sighed as a string of vicious curses were heard from Harry. “Let’s just try and remember he’s on our side, okay? However much of a dick he’s being, we don’t let any of the others downstairs know we’re having problems.”

Draco scowled, but nodded reluctantly. “Agreed.” He fell into step behind Ron and Connor and muttered to himself, “There’s nothing to stop me asking Peeves to do something vile to him though. Bloody twat.”

A shower did nothing to alleviate depressed spirits, especially when Kit made an unscheduled appearance just as they were about to leave and vomited up the three bits of toast and glass of juice she had consumed under orders from her mother and Madam Pomfrey and then nearly passed out from a worryingly low blood sugar level. Dawn, Ginny and Hermione led the way into the hall with the boys in a silent, stressed line behind them and they marched to their table without acknowledging the presence of the other students or faculty in the room. Connor and Draco split from Harry and Ron and planted Dawn and Ginny firmly between them on one side of the table as the Trio took up positions on the other side, Harry and Ron almost plastered to Hermione’s flanks as they shoved a pitcher of orange juice in front of her and simultaneously slapped a piece of toast and a banana down onto her empty plate. Hermione wrinkled her nose and looked up at Dawn and Ginny as they were served with equal grace by their boyfriends and caught Dawn’s eye as she shrugged and tore a bite of toast away with a savage snapping of teeth. Draco scowled across the table from where he had been looming over Ginny as she snorted and began to reluctantly chew on her own toast. “Just bloody eat it, Granger. The last thing we sodding need is you going the same way as the muggle.”

Hermione opened her mouth to reply with something suitably scathing when she was interrupted by a sniggering voice from behind her. “Oh dear, has the little darling been hurt?” Ginny and Dawn hastily grabbed for Connor and Draco as their faces flushed with rage and Hermione, Ron and Harry all turned to face Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle standing directly behind them. Pansy curled her lip at Ginny hanging from Draco’s arm and then looked at Hermione’s pinched expression. “Your standards certainly have slipped, Draco. First you defend the muggle bitch, then you start escorting damaged goods around the place and now you’re worrying about the mudblood’s health; what on earth are you going to do next, start cutting up Potter’s food for him?”

Ginny yelped as Draco surged to his feet and she was yanked painfully into the table. “Actually I thought I’d start with cutting up you, Parkinson.” Draco irritably shook off Ginny’s weak hold and leaned forward to grab the butter knife. “One well-used piece at a time.”

Pansy started as though she had been slapped and darted a furious look at the suddenly silent hall. Her eyes narrowed and she squared her shoulders as she faced Draco once more. “You should know, Draco, dear. Although I seem to remember you didn’t have any complaints about my experience at the time.” A smirk of triumph lit her face as she caught Ginny’s flinch out of the corner of her eye. “Oh come on, Weasley. You didn’t actually think he’d been saving himself for you, did you?”

“No.” Ginny released a harsh breath of air as she felt Draco’s hand clamp onto her shoulder and she leaned into his touch with a reassuring glance up at his suddenly worried face. “Although I certainly expected him to have better taste. Honestly, Draco, what were you thinking?”

Dawn leaned into Connor’s body as he circled an arm around her waist and laughed cruelly. “Probably that someone spiked the pumpkin juice.” She looked Pansy up and down. “Seriously, you drugged him, right? Or was it really, really dark and he kept his eyes shut the whole time.”

Draco found a smile from somewhere as Pansy snarled at Dawn and Ginny and Hermione blushed and smothered shocked giggles. “That’s astonishing, Summers, how on earth did you know that?” He let the knife fall back onto the table and took his seat again, smiling more genuinely at Ginny as she squeezed his hand and rubbed her face against his shoulder briefly. “Of course you left out the hour-long shower and scouring frantically with a scrubbing brush after each session.”

Ron pulled a face as he leaned comfortably back against the table. “There was more than one?” He tilted his head lazily back and eyed Draco doubtfully. “You sure you’re in your right mind, mate? I think I’d rather take my chances on bonking a hippogriff than putting my dangly bits near Parkinson more than once.”

Harry smirked and fingered his wand as Crabbe and Goyle shifted ominously at Pansy’s side. “I wouldn’t even do it once.” He copied Ron’s pose to slant his own look back at Draco. “Or was it some kind of bet? You must have got something out of it and I can’t see there being much in the way of other…satisfactions.”

Draco’s face stretched in a wide grin at the sound of Pansy’s outraged yelp and he leaned across the table to clap Harry on the shoulder, the morning’s previous animosity forgotten for a moment in the interests of putting up a united front to their tormentors. “Bugger me, but you don’t half bloody grow on a person, Potter.” His grin stretched even wider and he winked. “And, yes, it was a bet.”

Harry laughed. “Thought so.” He stiffened as Crabbe and Goyle tensed ominously, but before things could get out of hand the hall was suddenly filled with the sound of many wings and the morning’s owl post began to arrive. Ron and Harry both kept a careful eye on Pansy and her cohorts as they stood glowering at the completely unmoved Durus Cateanus table and waited for the owls to finish swooping and delivering parchment and packages through the hall, but it wasn’t until there was a soft thump that announced a delivery at their own table that the two boys looked away.

Dawn peered at the black envelope and velvet sack that had been dropped before Connor and then flinched as her very upset owl, Gordo, screeched wildly and tried to perch on her head. “Ow! Hey, quit it!” She reached up for the flapping, screaming bird and tugged it sharply away from her head where its talons were being less than careful with skin and hair. “Gordo, cut it out! What’s with you?”

Connor ducked as one flailing wing smacked him on the side of the head and eyed the black envelope lying on the table that had now started smoking around the edges and smelling unpleasantly of sulphur. “That doesn’t look good.” He looked up and caught Ron’s worried expression. “Does that look good to you?”

“Not really.” Ron stood up and hurriedly dragged Hermione back with him. “Er, maybe we should chuck some water on it or something?”

Ginny yelped as the now writhing missive suddenly jumped into the air and started to twist and turn in earnest. “I don’t think that’s going to help!” She allowed Draco to pull her up and behind him and then peered anxiously around his shoulder. “I think it’s going to…”

Durus Cateanus ducked as one when what sounded like a clap of thunder shook the hall and the envelope suddenly grew to ten times its original size to form a huge fang-filled mouth hanging in the air over their table. Terrified screams and yells from the other houses and some of the faculty came from every direction, but Connor paid no attention to his surroundings as he leapt from the floor to the table in one smooth pounce and stood with his sword poised and ready in his hands. He glanced to his right as a heavy thump announced the arrival of Draco and the taller boy fell into the classic duelling position with his wand outstretched and ready. “See? Told you it didn't look good.”

Draco snorted. “Yes. Once again your powers of observation astound me, brother dear.” He looked askance at the huge gaping mouth. “Although if that’s all it’s going to do I must say that I’m slightly underwhelmed. I’ve seen scarier clumps of dust under beds.”

Both boys ducked as the mouth suddenly flexed and spat out a bolt of green fire into the air. Draco and Connor turned to look behind them and then both boys rolled their eyes as the unmistakable sign of the Dark Mark took shape in the air. Ron moaned. “Bloody hell, you had to bloody say it, didn’t you? Couldn’t the scary mouth have been enough for you, you had to see what else it could do as well?”

Dawn grinned despite her pounding heart. “Bad Angel brothers, bad!” There was another long pause and Dawn looked back and forth between the Dark Mark and the gaping maw as she ignored the other students and the teachers all valiantly trying to calm them down. The pause continued. “O-kaay. Is that it now?”

“TREMBLE BEFORE MY MIGHT!”

Hermione swallowed the scream that had leapt up her throat and pointed her wand with a shaking hand. “I don’t think so.”

“LORD VOLDEMORT; LORD OF DARKNESS, TERROR OF THE NIGHT, BRINGER OF THE SHADOWS…”

Ginny cocked an eyebrow and reached for a fresh bit of toast, refusing to give anyone the satisfaction of looking even remotely concerned. “Doesn’t think much of himself, does he?”

“…SLAYER OF INNOCENTS, NIGHTMARE OF THE MUGGLE WORLD…”

Harry scratched at his scar and leaned against the table to follow Ginny’s casual example. “That’s laying it on a bit thick. I wouldn’t say nightmare exactly.”

“…HORROR OF MUDBLOODS, OVERLORD OF DEMONS…”

“Yeah, I think I know a couple of vampires that might say differently.” Dawn looked away from the screaming mouth and picked up her own bit of toast. “Is there any jam?”

“…SCOURGE OF THE LIGHT AND CHAMPION OF EVIL, BIDS THE FABLED EIGHT TO PIT THEIR PALTRY POWER AGAINST MY SUBJECTS AND MINIONS…”

Connor perked up. “A battle? Cool!”

“…SO THAT THEY MAY BE CRUSHED BENEATH MY FIST AND I WILL TAKE MY RIGHTFUL PLACE AS RULER OF THE WIZARDING WORLD…”

Connor scowled. “Hey, we’ll see who crushes who, buddy!”

“…YOU WILL BE LEFT AS NOTHING MORE THAN ASHES ON THE GROUND…”

Harry nudged Ron. “Seriously, he can’t be the nightmare of the muggle world if they don’t know he exists, can he?”

“…YOUR BLOOD WILL TRICKLE FROM THE MOUTHS OF MY FOLLOWERS AND THEY SHALL REND THE FLESH FROM THE BONES OF YOUR CHILDREN…”

Dawn looked around at the frozen hall. “Good luck with that, there’s pretty slim pickin’s around here, pal.” She caught Pansy’s eye and smirked. “Well, maybe one or two bones worth rending. She’ll be hell on the cholesterol count though.”

“…AND YOUR SCREAMS OF AGONY SHALL RING FOR ALL ETERNITY AS WARNING TO OTHERS THAT MIGHT OPPOSE THE WILL OF THE DARK LORD.”

“Oh, they will not!” Hermione pointed her wand safely at the ceiling as she realised they were nothing more than the recipients of an over-inflated Howler, and tossed her head impatiently. “There’s not even a spell for that.”

“I CHALLENGE THE EIGHT TO COME FORTH AND DO BATTLE FOR THEIR INSIGNIFICANT WORLD. I DEMAND ALBUS DUMBLEDORE SEND FORTH HIS BEST HOPE, HIS CHAMPIONS, SO THAT I MAY SMITE THEM DOWN AND FOREVER CRUSH THE HOPES OF THE WEAK AND UNWORTHY.”

“Who the hell writes this guy’s material?” Dawn perched on the edge of the table and started to swing her legs absently. “I mean, seriously, is anyone else getting anything more than dry skin from all the hot air he’s blowing?”

“BY THE TIME THE SUN RISES IN THE SKY TOMORROW ALL HOPE FOR MUGGLES AND MUDBLOODS WILL BE DESTROYED AND I SHALL SHAPE A NEW WORLD FROM THE DEAD HEARTS OF MY ENEMIES.”

Draco wrinkled his nose. “Ugh. Well that sounds…sticky.” He absently nudged Dawn’s hip with his foot. “Be a darling and pour me a nice cup of tea, will you?” He cocked his head as the fanged mouth suddenly opened and then burst apart with another loud roar and sparks exploded across the hall. “Never mind, show’s over; I’ll get it myself.”

In the stunned silence that followed, Ron shook his head. “Bloody hell, nothing like an early morning alarm call from an evil overlord to get you moving after a bad night, is there?” He absently brushed some smouldering embers off the shoulder of his robes and jerked his head towards the Dark Mark that still hung in the air. “Does someone want to do something about that?”

Harry nodded and avoided all eye contact with the white faces staring at them. “Yeah. I’ve got it.” He narrowed his eyes and pointed his wand. “Absumo!” The Dark Mark went the way of the Howler and incinerated beautifully when Harry’s charm hit it. “There you go, Ron.” Harry tucked his wand neatly away in his shoulder holster and tried very hard not to let anyone see his hands shake. “Is there anymore tea in the pot, Draco?”

“Umph.” Draco grunted around a triangle of toast that he held between his teeth and grabbed another cup whilst he hurriedly crammed the cold morsel into his mouth and chewed it with a grimace. “Yeah. Here you go, mate. Milk and two sugars, right?”

“Yeah. Cheers.” Harry accepted the cup of steaming tea and reseated himself at the table. “Any chance of some bacon and eggs up here?”

Connor jumped off the table and poked suspiciously at the velvet sack still sitting by his plate. “I smell blood.” He sniffed again. “And feathers.” He looked up as a shadow fell over him and scowled. “And what the hell do you want?”

Albus Dumbledore, looking paler than anyone had ever seen him, looked down at the seven teenagers and then swept an expressive hand around the horrified hall. “I merely wish to make sure you are alright. As you can see, your fellow students are understandably upset.”

Connor looked around and then went back to poking the velvet bag. “Don’t see why. It’s not like they’ve got to go out and fight whatisname.” He poked the bag again. “Wonder what it is?”

“Harry…” Everyone looked up as Seamus and Dean walked hesitantly up to the table and stood looking uncertainly at their former friends. “Harry, is that true? Are you really…I mean…” Dean’s hands twisted together nervously. “What that thing said…”

Harry caught Ron and then Draco’s eyes and lifted an enquiring eyebrow. The two boys looked at each other and then back to their housemate with matching shrugs. Harry sighed and looked up at the two Gryffindors, making sure to raise his voice so all of the hall could hear. “What, that we’re the Eight?” He nodded and took a sip of his tea. “Yeah, it’s true.” He raised his cup in a mocking toast. “Surprise.”

Whatever response Dean and Seamus might have made was forever lost at the outraged howl from Connor as he finally opened the bag and tipped out its contents. “That bastard!” He snatched up the ball of golden fluff from the table and waved it angrily under Ginny and Dawn’s disgusted noses. “He killed my fucking OWL!” Gordo began to screech again as Connor tossed the decapitated head of Useless the Owl onto the table and slammed his fist onto the wooden surface. “The son-of-a-bitch killed my fucking owl!”

“That’s not all he’s done.” Hermione lifted a piece of blood-saturated parchment between two fingers and held it out to Connor. “It’s a name and address. And a time.” She glanced at the watch on her wrist. “We have exactly twenty minutes to get to London and prevent a magical attack on a muggle primary school.” She shook her hair back from her pale face and tried to quell her rising nausea. “I think he’s starting the final stage of the war.”

Dawn stared at the head of Connor’s owl and then around the Great Hall, she paused and then years of conditioning as a Scooby came thundering to her aid. “Not before I’ve eaten a proper breakfast he’s not. We’ve got a couple of minutes to spare, who bogarted the sausages?”

Thus, most of the fabled Eight, saviours of mankind, sat and resolutely ignored the decapitated avian head at their table, the terrified people all around them and their disapproving Headmaster whilst more toast, several cups of tea and a respectable amount of sausages, bacon and egg were consumed before they left the table and headed back to their dormitory. Even more impressive was the fact that they waited until they were safely back in their house to throw up all the food they had consumed and void their panicking bladders and bowels.

  
  
  


* * *

“You can’t go.” Angel folded his arms over his chest and glared at his sons. “I won’t let you.”

Connor looked up from where he was strapping an ankle sheath onto his leg and smiled warmly at his father. “You don’t have a choice, Dad.” He reached for the jacket Spike held out to him and shrugged it on to cover the sword Dawn had given him for Christmas strapped to his back. “We’ve got four minutes to get to that school and stop a massacre and we’re going.”

“Connor, it’s a trap!” Angel raked a hand through his ever-crunchy hair and then spread his arms in appeal. “Please, son, you must know that. And it’s the holidays; there won’t even be anyone there.”

Hermione accepted a small crossbow from Dawn and stowed it carefully away under the fleecy jacket she wore. “I’m sorry, Angel, but there probably will. Most schools, especially infant schools, run some kind of holiday daycare for working parents outside of normal school terms and hours. There’s bound to be at least one or two people that have left their kids because they have to work today. For the muggles the days between Boxing Day and New Years Eve are just normal working days, most businesses will be open as usual.”

Angel looked around the crowded common room of Durus Cateanus and threw his hands up in despair. “For God’s sake, somebody talk some sense into them, this is insane!”

Spike shrugged from where he stood by the fireplace and watched Draco help Connor fit his wrist sheaths onto his arms and then tug the sleeves of the duster down to cover them. “Don’t see as how they’ve gotta lot of choice, Peaches. They’ve been called out, like.”

“Plus, we’ve been outed in a BIG way.” Dawn came running down the steps leading to the upper floor and reached up to tie her hair back in a scrunchie as she crossed to Connor’s side. “Now Voldy’s told everyone who we are, we can’t just hide out and hope he was just blowing air up our skirts.” She grinned at Hermione and Ginny, both of them wearing jeans like herself. “If we were wearing any that is.” She turned as she heard another set of footsteps come running down the stairs and Kit came into view. “Hey, hey, the gang’s all here. Let’s get this show on the road, people.”

“KIT!” Liz stumbled into view after her daughter and made an abortive grab for the girl’s arm. “Don’t be ridiculous, you can’t go, you’re not well!”

Kit finished adjusting the fit of her shoulder sheaths that held matching daggers and began to hastily button up the long leather jacket she wore over her jeans and woollen top. “Mom, I have to. I feel a lot better now.” She impatiently batted away a stray tendril of hair from her still pale face and accepted the gleaming short-handled axe that Harry held silently out to her. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to go. I am NOT being left behind. Ginny did a travel sickness charm on me and I drank all the potion Madam Pomfrey left.” She kissed Liz on the cheek and pushed her gently away, ignoring the concerned looks from not only Spike and Angel, but her own house members as well. “I’ll be okay.”

Hermione shuffled her feet nervously and checked her watch again as Draco pulled a warm winter hat over Ginny’s protesting head. “Two minutes left.”

“Dawn, Connor, please.” Buffy stepped forward and took her sister’s hands in hers. “You can’t just go in blind. Let us go ahead and check out the situation, it might not even need you there, we could handle it. You guys aren’t ready. What if Kit freaks out again?”

Dawn squeezed the icy-cold fingers in hers tightly and then gently pulled away. “Then we’ll deal. We’re as ready as we’re ever gonna get, Buffy.” She kissed her sister’s cheek and then turned away. “Ron?”

Ron ignored his own mother’s pleading look and held up a tattered old hairbrush. “Ready. Gather round for the Suicide Express.” He waited until his friends had gathered in a rough circle and then held out the hastily charmed slipper that they were using for a portkey in the centre. “Wands and weapons at the ready.” Over loud protests and pleading from their families, the Eight prepared to leave and then Ron suddenly yanked the portkey away. “Bollocks.” He turned to Angel and Spike. “If Voldemort got to Useless there’s a good chance he’s got agents working within the school. Gordo and Useless were housed in the Owlery on the school grounds, you need to increase security and start Dumbledore looking for whoever is working for him.”

“Or you could stay here and help with that.” Angel, all too aware of what had happened to his sons the last time they had faced the Dark Lord, made a last ditch attempt to stop them disappearing for another ill-fated battle. “You know the students, the faculty; you could…”

“One minute, Ron.” Hermione bounced anxiously and tried very hard not to throw up again. “We have to go!”

“Start with Slytherin, Dad.” Draco kicked Ron’s ankle to get his attention and looked meaningfully at the portkey, sure if they didn’t leave right now he’d come to his senses and leg it back up the dorms to hide under the nearest bed to whimper himself into oblivion. “They’re bound to have something to do with it.” He wrapped one hand around Ginny’s trembling one and stretched out the other to touch the sole of the slipper. “Make sure you…” A hook fastened just below his navel and tugged him forwards and into a world that had gone crazily out of focus. He stumbled and nearly went to his knees, but still managed to finish his sentence as the world righted itself under a cold grey sky and he found himself standing on a wide stretch of grey asphalt. “…Use plenty of whips and sharp implements to get what you need out of them.”

“The fabled Eight.” The teenagers broke apart and dropped into defensive crouches at the hissed words and stared silently at three robed figures backed by an assortment of demons. “Dumbledore’s champions.”

Connor growled and scowled ominously. “Y’know, I let that go at the school, but I’m not gonna be quite so forgiving here. We’re Humanity’s champions, you asshole; we don’t answer to anyone, especially not that long-haired freak.” Harry could swear that his friend did no more than twitch, but suddenly the middle of the three robed figures was sprouting the hilt of a dagger from under the hood of his robes and was falling to the ground without so much as a whimper. Connor flashed a cold, bloodthirsty smile. “And I’m gonna want that back. That makes us even for the owl.”

“Connor!” Hermione was rigid with shock as she stared at the body on the floor.

“That was a human!”

“Nope.” Connor shook his head and pointed as the body twitched. “That’s a vamp. They’re all vamps, they’ve been turned. We need to get their robes off.”

“MOVE!” Ron’s wand was already slashing through the air as the two remaining Death Eaters cursed and raised their own wands, the demons behind them howling at the scent of blood and springing forward. “Ginny, Hermione, PROTECT THE SCHOOL!” He caught a glimpse of more robed figures running towards them from around the side of the school building and tucked and rolled across the unforgiving floor to avoid a sudden barrage of curses. “THERE’S MORE BEHIND US!”

Connor and Kit engaged the first of the demons to reach them and screamed in unison as their blades met flesh. Connor spun to plant his foot in the face of a snarling golden-skinned demon and simultaneously decapitated a bright red one that tried to claw his throat out. “KILL THEM ALL!”

And then there was nothing more to be said as the not-so-fabled Eight went to work.

* * *

Back at Hogwarts, Buffy looked at the parchment in her hand and then up at Professor Dumbledore’s sober face. “This is a joke, right?”

The old man shook his head gravely. “No. Reports are coming in from all over the country that magical and demonic attacks are taking place on wizards and muggles alike. The Aurors are already having difficulty in maintaining their lines and it seems to be only a matter of time before they are beaten back.”

“Shit.” Buffy crumpled up the parchment and hurled it furiously into the fireplace in the Durus Cateanus common room where the Eight’s families had gathered after their speedy exit. “SHIT!”

“Buffy, we cannot allow our allies to fight this threat alone.” Giles cautiously approached his Slayer, cognizant of the fact that since Dawn and Kit’s rejection of him, he and Buffy were at best in a state of uneasy truce. “We must go.”

Liz and Molly exchanged frightened looks and Liz turned imploringly to Spike who stood rigidly at her side. “You said you were going after them. You said you wouldn’t leave them alone.”

“I know, pet.” The vampire made himself meet the human’s eyes and allowed all his fear and worry for his girls show. “But…”

“But we can’t let Voldemort gain control.” Looking like the words were acid in his mouth, Angel gripped the hilt of the sword he had been holding in preparation for rushing to the aid of his children and forced himself to look calmly at Buffy. “You know he’s doing this to guarantee they’re on their own, that there’s no help coming.”

The Slayer nodded. “I do.” She took a long shuddering breath and shook her head helplessly. “But we don’t have a choice. Willow, get a message to Faith and Robin. Tell them to batten down the hatches over the Hellmouth and prepare for a strike there. If Sunnydale doesn’t get hit, then tell them to get ready to be brought here. We may need a second Slayer line. Giles, contact the Watcher’s Council and get them to stir their tweedy asses and rally whatever troops they have. Fred, better let Lorne know he might be running the white hat operation back home for a while if we have to bring in Faith and Robin.” She watched as her friends scattered to carry out her orders and then turned to Xander and Anya, standing silently by the windows. “You two are in charge of security at the school. Xan, use everyone you can to put together a good defence. I’d use whatever Aurors you can to guard the grounds, while the refugees and the faculty take care of the school itself.”

Xander nodded briskly. “On it. Ahn, you take Molly and Liz and get all the kids together as well as all the younger students. Take everyone that’s year three or below and get them all into the Great Hall.” He smiled at his white-faced wife wanly. “I’m gonna need the older students with me.”

Professor Dumbledore blinked in surprise. “I can assure you that we are more than capable of protecting ourselves without endangering any of our students.” He frowned reprovingly. “And I must insist that all matters to do with school security rest in my hands.”

Cordelia snorted from where she stood leaning heavily against Gunn having woken just ten minutes before, but like Kit, determined not to be left behind no matter how crappy she felt. “Yeah, can I just remind you how the kids met the dark, ooky one last time? You’re not exactly batting a thousand in the old protecting-the students-stakes, Professor. Insist all you want, buddy, it still ain’t gonna happen.” She spared Molly and Liz a quick mother-to-mother smile. “They’re gonna be okay. We’re all gonna be okay.”

Liz snatched at Spike’s arm as he moved past her; barely aware of the pitying looks she received from the rest of the room. “Spike, please, you can’t leave them out there alone. These are your children we’re talking about. Our daughter! Kit chose you for her father; please, don’t let her down now.”

For a moment Spike stood stunned that Liz had finally publicly acknowledged the bond he and Kit shared and he felt a flare of irrational anger that the woman was blatantly using that bond against him now to sway him to her side. He looked silently at her for a moment and then cupped one cold hand against her flushed cheek. “I swear to you, as soon as I can, I will go to our child and I will bring her home to you. If there is a mark on her that Angel’s boys haven’t avenged, then I will hunt down every last thing that touched our daughter and bring your their heads in penance.” He sighed as Liz’s eyes filled with tears. “Keep the home fires burnin,’ luv, she’ll come back to you.”

Liz swallowed heavily and made herself take comfort in the blue eyes that stared into hers so brightly. “Make sure you both do, Spike. I can’t finish the job of raising her by myself.” She clutched tightly at his arm for a brief second and then shoved him away. “Go on, go save the day and find our kid.” Spike flashed a heart-stopping smile and then turned to sprint after his mate and their companions as they rushed for the door. “Good luck!”

Anya clapped her hands together. “Right. Burning fires.” She nodded to herself and eyed Molly and Liz. “That should be relatively simple. Do you think Spike meant small, individual ones or a great big ring of fire encircling the castle? A ring would be more effective but with young children about I am not certain that it would be safe. The babies in particular would be in great risk and I understand that mortal babies are not as flame retardant as they could be.” Blithely ignoring her worried looking husband, the distinctly nervous Molly and Liz and the still speechless Dumbledore, Anya swept regally towards the door. “Perhaps we should dress them in some kind of suit? Xander, those things with the funny hats that all the heroes wear on TV, what are they called? I believe they mostly come in orange.”

“Uh.” Xander trailed after his wife and re-tuned his mind to Radio Anya. “Um, Haz-Mat suits?”

“That’s it.” Anya climbed through the portrait hole and hurried down the corridor. “Do they come in infant sizes?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are the writings of [ MsGordo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kipplemine/profile), posted here with the author's express permission in order to preserve them from Yahoo Groups. If I have missed any tags or warnings, please feel free to let me know.
> 
> Special thanks to Jon L. (CamperX) for saving this story as a PDF way back in 2006.


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